Dubai - Shaikh Mohammed will be holding a conversation entitled 'Dialogue of the Future' and answer to the questions, which cover a variety of topics, at 6:30pm.
Published: Sun 7 Feb 2016, 11:00 PM
Last updated: Tue 9 Feb 2016, 7:36 AM
.@HHShkMohd: #UAE President has approved the largest structural change in the Federal Government
- Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) February 8, 2016
His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, in the presence of Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, today received Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail, and his accompanying delegation, on the sidelines of the World Government Summit (#WorldGovSummit), who conveyed the greetings of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi.
Shaikh Mohammed welcomed his guest, highlighting the depth of mutual cooperation and fraternal relations since the era of the late Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who laid down the foundations for these special relations between the two countries.
The Egyptian Prime Minister praised the UAE for its stance towards achieving sustainable development and its eagerness to help its brothers and friends advance their government and developmental reforms on many levels, referring to the comprehensive reforms being implemented in the era of President Al Sisi.
The meeting was attended by Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister for Cabinet Affairs, Chairman of the World Government Summit, Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State, and Wael Al Sayed Mohammed Gad, Ambassador of Egypt to the UAE.
"Innovation in government ensures that our children have better opportunities," US President Barack Obama said at the official opening of the World Government Summit before commending the UAE leadership for its "commitment to E-governement".
Delivering his televised keynote speech at the inaugural session of the Summit on Monday in the presence of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-president and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, President Obama said the US is "proud to be a partner" of the UAE. Read more: http://bit.ly/1PgLWvj
Image via Twitter/DXBMediaOffice
Professor Klaus Schwab believes we are at the beginning of a Fourth Industrial Revolution and it is governments who need to shape this future
"The future will not consist of countries being divided by developed and less-developed economies. They will be divided by innovative and non-innovative ones."
Speaking on the opening day of the World Government Summit 2016 in Dubai on Monday, Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, said we are at the beginning of a revolution that is fundamentally changing the way we live.
Calling it the "Fourth Industrial Revolution", he said the evidence is all around us and it's coming in fast waves.
"Self-driving cars, drones, the Internet of Things. The future is here, it has already begun and governments play a key role in shaping this future."
But this revolution differs from the three before it, he said.
The first revolution focused on invention, where we introduced the steam train. The second was the dawn of electricity, and the third, the rise of the computer.
However, this fourth revolution is not just one breakthrough, it is many breakthroughs at once.
"This revolution is changing us, not just the way we doing things. It's a combination of physical, digital and biological spheres."
Using Uber and Air BnB as examples, he said we are not seeing the introduction of new products, what we are seeing is a "change in system".
To take advantage of this drastic change, governments need to adapt and change with it, Schwab said.
"Governments need to recognise the role they have to play to foster innovation. The traditional hierarchical chain most governments are used to will not survive."
And one of the most important assets governments need to harness is something that is sitting right in from of them, he said.
"It's human capital. They need to put an emphasis on human development. In the future the availability of talent will set the success of a country. It is its most precious resource."
For Schwab, there are four essential tools the leadership in a country should possess in order to move with this 'Fourth Industrial Revolution': brains, soul, heart, and nerves.
"For the brains element, governments have to harness contextual intelligence. We need to be able to connect the dots. For the soul, we have to have a long term vision, and that is a strength the UAE government has. It is adapting to change very well."
Thirdly, he said they have to embrace that change with passion, whether it creates fear or not. And finally, Governments have to believe that the "unthinkable is thinkable".
"This technical revolution can provide an entry card for humanity into a new civilisation. That is our task now and these are steps that governments should follow."
Mohammed Al Gergawi, UAE Minister of Cabinet Affairs of the Federal Government of the UAE introduced Prof. Schwab to the stage on the opening day of the summit.
Upon the conclusion of his opening speech, Al Gergawi asked: "Which country is the current leader of this revolution in the region?"
In response, Schwab said what is most important when being a leader of such a revolution is a multidisciplinary approach.
"I think many of the sectors in the UAE work closely together. That is a plus. It is a small country but it has the capability to be a role model for the future. It is already performing well in the competitive report and the UAE has the chance to perform as a laboratory for such a revolution." kelly@khaleejtimes.com
Shaikh Mohammed has tweeted that he will be holding a conversation entitled 'Dialogue of the Future' and answer to the questions, which cover a variety of topics, at 6:30pm.
Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama will deliver the televised inaugural address of the three-day summit, which brings together over 3,000 dignitaries from 125 countries, including heads of state and high-level representatives of international organisations including the United Nations and World Bank.Another first-day highlight will be the "Emirates Innovative Teacher" award, in which Dh1 million will be given to a teacher who has made significant contributions to the teaching profession in the UAE.
Besides Obama, the keynote speakers on the first day will include Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank Group and Jose Angel Gurria, Secretary-General of the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
The summit, being held under the theme 'Shaping Future Governments', will address eight main issues: education, healthcare, government action, science, innovation and technology, economy, labour market and human capital management, development and sustainability, and the cities of the future.
Prof Jim Al Khalili, Physics professor at Surrey University, will discuss the Arab world's contributions to science and the challenges faced by the region today at the main session entitled 'When the World Spoke Arabic: The Forgotten Scientific Heritage of the Arab Civilisation.
In the second session, lecturer and interlocutor Dr Neil Degrasse Tyson will discuss how today's scientific research will shape tomorrow's technology.
The third session, hosted by futurist Peter Schwarz, Senior Vice-President and Senior VP for Strategic Planning at Salesforce, will deal with how governments can adequately prepare for unanticipated events in the future.
The fourth session will be a debate between Siemens President Joe Kaeser and Dubai Water and Electricity Authority (Dewa) Managing Director and CEO Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer on clean energy innovation.
In the fifth session, Arab League Secretary General Nabil Al Arabi and Gulf Corporation Council Secretary-General Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani will participate in a forum entitled "Preparing the Future: Five Things that Arab Governments Should Address Now".
Today's sessions will conclude with a debate on how 3D printing will influence the future. Additionally, the summit will include a number of interactive lectures.
A number of topics will be discussed in today's lectures. Jennifer Pahlka - Founder and Executive Director of Code for America - for example, will discuss computer programming as the "language of the future" and its vital importance in school curricula.
Another lecture, conducted by physicist Derek Muller, the director and owner of Veritasium, will highlight the role played by social media in the future of education in an increasingly-connected world.
The second and third days of the summit will also see awards given to the "Best Minister in the World" and to the "Best Mobile Government Services."
reporters@khaleejtimes.com
World Government Summit in Dubai
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