Davos: The UAE Government and the World Economic Forum have launched a new phase of their strategic knowledge partnership by signing a Memorandum of Understanding to host the Global Future Councils annual meetings in Dubai for the next five years.

The move reaffirms the shared commitment to fostering collaboration in shaping the future, supporting global efforts to navigate socio-economic challenges, and empowering governments to build more resilient development models.

The signing took place in the presence of H.H. Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture); Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs; Børge Brende, President and CEO of the World Economic Forum; and Larry Fink, interim Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum and co-founder, Chairman and CEO of BlackRock.

The MoU was signed by Ohood Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Government Development and the Future; and Maroun Kairouz, Managing Director at the World Economic Forum. The signing was part of the UAE Government participation in the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, which convened government leaders, decision-makers and experts from around the world.

The Global Future Councils is a cornerstone of the strategic partnership between the UAE Government and the World Economic Forum, with takeaways from these meetings later serving as key pillars in the official agenda of the WEF Annual Meeting in Davos.

This partnership builds on a 17-year legacy of success, during which 900 councils have convened over 12,000 global experts and officials. Together, they have addressed the most critical issues impacting humanity and its future.

Mohammad Al Gergawi affirmed that the sustainable strategic partnership with the World Economic Forum embodies the UAE’s vision, guided by its 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, to forge effective global partnerships rooted in action and positive impact, ultimately fostering comprehensive, sustainable development.

Al Gergawi noted that the UAE is a proactive partner in shaping the global future agenda through high-impact, sustainable initiatives. He emphasised that the UAE Government views international cooperation as an essential tool for designing the future, noting that collaborating with the World Economic Forum unlocks new horizons for policymaking and accelerates the pace of government innovation worldwide.

He stated that the Global Future Councils represent an advanced model for collaboration and joint action, convening global experts and intellectuals to build government capacity for transforming challenges into development opportunities. He added that the Global Future Councils reinforce the UAE’s status as a global hub for designing future solutions that serve humanity and help improve quality of life across societies.

Over the past years, the UAE Government and the World Economic Forum formed a sustainable global strategic partnership agreement that aimed to further explore future opportunities, while driving integration and cooperation in supporting global efforts to achieve mutual objectives and develop comprehensive future plans and strategies.

The partnership encompasses numerous levels of cooperation, partnerships, bilateral initiatives and programmes. It seeks to bolster the UAE’s national strategies and achieve its future visions, as well as support achieving World Economic Forum’s objectives by leveraging innovation, technology, AI and Fourth Industrial Revolution solutions and tools across various vital sectors.