UAE: World Government Summit to host 20 presidents, 250 ministers

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev and Macky Sall, Senegalese President and Chairperson of the African Union, are among 20 world government leaders expected to take part in the World Government Summit which will take place next week.

Speaking at a Press briefing, Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the World Government Summit, said that the summit, in its 10th edition, is the largest congregation for world governments with a crucial mission. “The World Government Summit focuses on what unites us as humans and what benefits people,” he said, adding that during the summit, nations go beyond their conflicts and instead, they focus on collaborating towards the future.

“We celebrate a decade of achievements. It was during the World Government Summit that we heard world leaders speak about their experiences and the importance of creating a united destiny for governments,” said Al Gergawi, adding that it is a summit of international alliances and partnerships.

He explained that previous editions of the summit succeeded in helping governments create policies and share experience and knowledge that avoids making mistakes when it comes to putting the policies into action. “The summit helps create partnerships between the public and private sectors as they complement one another with a joint responsibility in creating strategy,” he said.

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The summit is also a platform for innovation, said Al Gergawi. “The Museum of the Future was an idea that come up in the World Government Summit in 2014. The forum is a laboratory for innovation,” he said.

The event will witness the participation of regional and international organisations and experts such as Professor Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum; Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the IMF; Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala GCON, Director-General of the World Trade Organisation; Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO; Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Arab League Secretary-General; Mohammad Sulaiman Al Jasser, Chairman, Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group; Jasem Al Budaiwi, Secretary-General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC).

In addition, a speech will be delivered by the UN Secretary-General and another one from the President of the World Bank. The International Atomic Energy Agency, and the International Labour Organization, will also be participating.

More than 250 ministers will be part of the event as well as nearly 10,000 government officials, businessmen and world experts including some Nobel Prize winners. More than 220 sessions will be held in which 300 speakers will share their thoughts for building a better future for the world.

Nearly 20 reports will be issued at the forum and the best world minister award will be introduced among other awards that celebrate government achievements around the world.

Al Gergawi also said that more than 22 international forums will be held, in addition to a number of first-time forums, such as the Future of Work Forum, the Future of Education Forum, the Experience Exchange Forum, and the Future by Design Global Forum.

During the summit, high-level ministerial meetings will be held, such as the meeting of Arab finance ministers in the presence of the IMF President, and the meeting of Arab youth ministers in the presence of the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States.

The summit will host a keynote and a dialogue titled “Ras Al Khaimah... The Past, the Present and Future”, during which His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah will review the emirate’s vision, its most important experiences within the march of development in various sectors, and the prominent directions toward the future. Lt-General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, will also deliver a speech in a key session within the World Government Summit.

The World Government Summit continues its various dialogues in vital sectors, through the ClimateTech Forum, the Food System Transformation Forum, the Global Health Forum, the SDGs in Action Forum, the Government Services Forum, the Women in Government Forum, the Industry and Advanced Technology Forum and the Future of Government Media Forum.

A number of forums will be hosted in partnership with regional and international organisations, including the "Time 100" Gala, the Brilliant Minds Dialogue, the Agility in Government Forum, the Arab Public Administration Forum, and the GCC Best Practices Forum, in addition to the second edition of the Arab meeting for young Leaders.

As part of the current edition of the World Government Summit, 7 global awards will be presented in appreciation of government ministers, representatives of the private sector, innovators and creators for their exceptional contributions to building a better society for humanity. The Awards include the Edge of Government Award; the Best Minister Award; the World Data Visualization Prize; the M-Gov Award and Shaping Future Governments: Global Universities Challenge.

“This is the decade of opportunities. We don’t only want to look at the future of governments but to be equipped with the right tools to make them a reality,” said Al Gergawi.

The World Government Summit 2023 will take place from February 13-15.

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