More than 150 speakers from the UAE and around the world will participate in 70 panel discussions, keynote speeches and workshops at the Dubai Future Forum that will take place from November 27 to 28 at the Museum of the Future.

Considered as one of the world’s largest gathering of futurists, the forum will be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of the Executive Council and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Dubai Future Foundation.

Organised by the Dubai Future Foundation the forum will see 2,500 experts from 100 countries participate in the second edition of this global event, in addition to about 100 international institutions and organisations.

Some of the top speakers coming from overseas include: Dr Angela Wilkinson from the World Energy Council; Dr Mary Lou Jepesen from the Openwater Foundation; Dr Paul Salem from the Middle East Institute; Professor Pascal Fung from the Hong Kong University of Technology; Nourhan Badr El Din from UNICEF; Alisha Bhagat from the Forum For the Future; Professor Hoda Al Khuzaimi from the Emaratsec; Dr Kais Hammami from the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization; Melanie Subin from the Future Today Institute; Dr Sophie Howe, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales; James Pomeroy from HSBC; and Alice Ruhweza of WWF, among others.

Ministers and government officials from the UAE will also participate in the event: including Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Managing Director of the Dubai Future Foundation; Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Government Development and the Future; and Ambassador Majid Al Suwaidi, Director General of COP28; in addition to one of the first Emirati astronauts, Sultan Al Neyadi and the astronauts from the entire NASA SpaceX Crew-6 2023 mission.

Melanie Subin, Managing Director of Future Today Institute, said: "I am deeply impressed by the Dubai Future Forum's unique ability to foster invaluable network opportunities and provide a conducive environment for global leaders to analyse our world's long-term needs.”

Emma Thwaites, Director of Corporate Affairs of Open Data Institute (ODI), said: “At the ODI, we want a world where data works for everyone. This has become so much more pressing in our era of rapidly evolving technology. Without good data and trustworthy data practices, it is impossible to build ethical AI.  We have a huge responsibility to keep the 'human in the loop' which is why this gathering of humans at the Dubai Future Forum - and online - is so important at this point in our species' evolution.”

Alisha Bhagat, Senior Futurist at Forum for the Future, said: “The Dubai Futures Forum is a place where the futures and foresight community can come together to discuss niche, seemingly impossible, and courageous ideas that can shift our understanding of the world and take us into different ways of thinking and existing.”

Prof Matthew Agarwala, Economist of Bennett Institute for Public Policy at University of Cambridge, said: “From the Marshall Plan to the present day, economic statistics do much more than measure progress: they become guiding principles for government policies. Prosperity depends on the stewardship of the whole portfolio of society’s assets, including natural, human, and social capital.”

Prof Cornelius Holtorf, Professor at Linnaeus University, said: “It is timely and pertinent that the world’s largest gathering of futurists – held at Dubai’s Museum of the Future – features a discussion on the significance of culture and heritage for foresight.”

Jolene Lum, Head, Business Development of Nurasa Pte Ltd, said: “I look forward to joining Dubai Future Forum, a platform bringing together the sharpest global experts and thought leaders, to draw on deep insights across industries, exchange ideas, and drive action to catalyse solutions for the world’s most pressing challenges – including the long-term sustainability and resilience of global food systems.”

Joanna Lepore, Global Foresight Director at McDonald's Corp, said: “Despite what we sometimes say in business, the future is not a competitive battlefield. If we truly believe in a more positive future and if it still holds true that the future belongs to all of us then we must work on it together. I have tremendous hope for what we can learn from and move on when we collect great minds and hearts together at the right time and in the right place.”

Speakers will discuss the future of some of the most important sectors, such as space, sustainability, environment, energy, food, health, medicine, education, technology, artificial intelligence, digital economy, governance, and many others.

The forum's discussions will focus on four main themes, including reimagining nature, empowering future generations, the human-machine relationship, and transformations in humanity. – TradeArabia News Service