The UAE Government in partnership with the World Economic Forum (WEF) will host the 2024 Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils in Dubai from 15th to17th October.

The meeting will welcome government officials, experts and futurists from the public, private and academic sectors, as well as from international organisations and community institutions from 80 countries.

More than 500 delegates will participate in 30 councils that will address opportunities and challenges across five areas: technology and AI, the environment and climate change, governance, economics and finance, and society.

The 2024 Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils aims to reach a common understanding of the forces shaping the future of economies and societies with the goal of enhancing cooperation to seize opportunities and address challenges.

The councils will discuss the mechanisms governments can adopt to boost economic development, build human capacities, and prepare workers for future jobs. They will also promote lateral thinking to help shape a more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable future.

For the first time, the Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils will feature heavy private sector participation, welcoming 70 top CEOs from leading global companies who will share their insights on the future of their sectors.

Mohammed Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Co-Chair of the Global Future Councils, said, “Under the leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, the UAE sees it as its mission to design and build the future with the goal of advancing human progress.

The strategic partnership between the UAE Government and the World Economic Forum continues to evolve, fostering international cooperation in the most critical areas. This fruitful partnership is the result of more than two decades of collaboration that began with a historic speech by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in 2002.”

Al Gergawi added, “The UAE Government has established a comprehensive system for anticipating upcoming trends and translating these insights into innovation, sustainable development, and future readiness. As such, the UAE is recognised globally as a platform for future-building and a hub for the brightest minds, innovators and talents around the world. The country is a meeting point for all those who consider themselves at the vanguard of progress.”

The Annual Meeting of Global Future Councils will feature keynotes, panels, high-level discussions and interactive sessions aimed at generating novel ideas. From these sessions, the councils will create a series of recommendations that will shape the agenda for the next WEF Annual Meeting in Davos in January 2025.

Some of the topics being explored from 15th to 17th October include the future of AI, tackling antimicrobial resistance, the care economy, cybersecurity, food and water security, the metaverse, autonomous mobility, the future of geopolitics, responsible investment, space, sustainable tourism, air cleanliness, the energy transition, net zero, synthetic biology, the future of cities, good governance, redefining growth, climate humanitarianism, the quantum economy, advanced manufacturing and value chains, labour markets and the future of work, resilient financial systems, responsible resource use, technology policies, the future of trade and investment, mental health, and many more.

Since 2008, more than 900 councils have been held, involving over 12,000 participants from 100 countries.