Sheikh Hamdan and Sheikha Latifa look on as Khalfan Belhoul (right) and Hussain Sajwani sign the agreement. WAM

Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF), on Sunday approved the launch of the next phase of the 'Dubai Future Solutions’ initiative.

The 'Dubai Future Solutions - Prototypes for Humanity’ initiative will be overseen by Sheikha Latifa Bint Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture).

The initiative aims to foster the development and implementation of innovative prototypes and pilot models, delivering transformative solutions from Dubai to the world.

This initiative aims to build on the successes achieved by the ‘Prototypes for Humanity’ initiative over the past nine years, and its efforts to advance innovation for the betterment of humanity.

Sheikh Hamdan witnessed the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Dubai Future Foundation and the Hussain Sajwani - DAMAC Foundation (HSDF), which pledged Dhs100 million to support innovation and technology in Dubai and across the UAE.

Signed by Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of DFF, and Hussain Sajwani, Founder and Chairman of DAMAC Properties, the agreement makes HSDF a strategic partner of the initiative.

Sheikh Hamdan affirmed that the initiative serves as a comprehensive platform to support innovators and designers of future solutions around the world and nurture top talent and creative thinkers across all future-oriented sectors.

"It is a pivotal step towards realising the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to transform Dubai into a global innovation hub," he said.

"The objective of the 'Dubai Future Solutions - Prototypes for Humanity' initiative is to create a dynamic platform that attracts leading innovations, projects, and experimental ideas from across the world, including contributions from bright students, top universities and international institutions, with the aim of transforming these ideas into impactful solutions benefiting humanity. We extend our gratitude to Hussain Sajwani for supporting Dubai’s innovation journey and his dedication to advancing future technologies across sectors," he added.

Sheikh Hamdan and Sheikha Latifa interact with Khalfan Belhoul during the launch of the next phase of the 'Dubai Future Solutions’ initiative. WAM

Sheikha Latifa said the directives of Sheikh Hamdan provide a strong impetus to Dubai’s journey of innovation, entrepreneurship, future design, and human empowerment. They serve as a guide to strengthen international collaborations and partnerships and accelerate the advancement of new technologies and innovations.

"To achieve these goals, we are committed to cultivating strategic partnerships with government entities, the private sector, global universities, and academic, cultural, technological and creative institutions. Our objective is to spotlight a variety of future-oriented ideas and innovations that have a positive impact on society, ultimately transforming them into tangible achievements that will serve humanity,” she added.

Under the guidance of Sheikha Latifa Bint Mohammed, the collaboration between DFF and HSDF will establish a global framework to enhance partnerships with academic institutions, students, laboratories, startups, and leading innovators worldwide.

This initiative is designed to attract leading global innovations to Dubai, offering a platform for innovators to exhibit their work, drive community improvement, address significant global challenges, and convert experimental projects into thriving startups.

In addition, the initiative supports innovators and startups across various future sectors, enhancing job creation, investment opportunities, and market expansion. It also aids in patenting innovations and helps transition ideas into viable companies, while providing investment avenues for innovators looking to expand from Dubai to global markets. These objectives will be realised in collaboration with the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and Dubai Culture.

Furthermore, an annual event will be hosted at the Dubai Future District, showcasing the best 100 innovations from the ‘Dubai Future Solutions - Prototypes for Humanity’ initiative. The top innovations will be honoured during the annual ceremony.

DFF will also support this initiative through various national programmes, including the Dubai Research and Development Program and the Dubai Robotics and Automation Program. Leveraging its integrated ecosystem, DFF will promote entrepreneurship through AREA 2071 and the Dubai Future Accelerators (DFA), spotlighting promising projects and talents.

This announcement builds on the success achieved by the ‘Prototypes for Humanity’, an initiative of the Art Dubai Group, over the past nine years. Under the patronage of Sheikha Latifa Bint Mohammed, the initiative has showcased hundreds of innovative projects from over 10,000 applications submitted by students from more than 700 universities worldwide.

The 'Prototypes for Humanity' initiative has been supported by its founding partners: Dubai Culture, DIFC, A.R.M Holding, and the Investment Corporation of Dubai. In the past year, the initiative received over 2,800 project submissions encompassing more than 200 research fields across diverse technological and future-oriented sectors.

WAM