Global Futurists Converge in Dubai
The fourth edition of the Dubai Future Forum, the world's largest gathering of futurists, commenced on November 18, 2025, at the Museum of the Future in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The two-day event, running until November 19, is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Dubai Future Foundation. Organized by the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF), the forum is set to host more than 2,500 participants from 100 leading global organizations and countries, featuring over 200 speakers across 70 sessions.
Key Themes and Distinguished Speakers
The forum's extensive agenda is structured around five major themes designed to explore the trajectory of global change and emerging challenges: Exploring the Unknown, Empowering Societies, Reimagining Health, Optimising Systems, and Foresight Insights. Discussions on the opening day addressed significant global transformations in the age of artificial intelligence, the nature of future societies, and long-term decision-making. Notable speakers included Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation, who delivered the opening keynote, and a headline session featuring Michael Miebach, CEO of Mastercard, and Omar Sultan Al Olama, UAE Minister of State for AI. Belhoul emphasized that the world is moving toward an era of 'super foresight' by combining human intelligence with advanced AI, positioning Dubai for this transition through global partnerships and long-term planning.
Interactive Experiences and Awards
Beyond the main sessions, the Dubai Future Forum incorporates several parallel initiatives and immersive experiences. Dedicated Learning Days were introduced on November 17 and 20, in collaboration with regional and international institutions, exploring topics such as foresight and global security, strategic philanthropy, wearable technologies, urban resilience, and the future of media. The Prototypes for Humanity – Dubai Future Solutions Exhibition 2025 also opened at AREA 2071 in Emirates Towers, showcasing 100 innovative projects selected from over 3,000 submissions globally. The forum will also announce the winners of the inaugural Dubai Foresight Awards, recognizing global pioneers in foresight across three categories: Foresight Change Makers, Foresight for People, and Foresight for the Planet, alongside a Future Stories Awards Ceremony. Attendees can also engage with interactive foresight activations leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI), Virtual Reality (VR), and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies.
Dubai's Vision for the Future
The Dubai Future Forum reinforces Dubai's commitment to being a global hub for future-shaping ideas and innovation. It serves as an international platform for futurists and thought leaders to anticipate challenges, imagine opportunities, share foresight, and actively shape the future, thereby strengthening Dubai's position as a leading center for future design and foresight. The event underscores the importance of strengthening integration between global capabilities and expertise to sustain progress and ensure humanity's advancement.
8 Comments
Eric Cartman
Dubai truly leading the charge in future innovation! This forum is exactly what the world needs.
Stan Marsh
Dubai hosting a forum on sustainability and future design is ironic given its environmental footprint.
Kyle Broflovski
The forum's commitment to showcasing innovative projects and leveraging AI/VR is forward-thinking. However, the true measure of its success will be in how widely these insights and technologies are adopted and how they genuinely improve global well-being, beyond the elite participants.
Eric Cartman
So many sessions, so many speakers. But what tangible outcomes or actions will actually result from this?
Stan Marsh
Acknowledging the importance of future planning and AI development is vital, and Dubai is clearly making a statement. Still, it's crucial that these discussions lead to actionable, inclusive strategies rather than just theoretical advancements.
lettlelenok
Global collaboration on future challenges is paramount. Dubai is setting a fantastic example.
Noir Black
Bringing together 2,500 participants and 200 speakers is monumental. This will drive real progress.
KittyKat
All this AI talk sounds like hype. Will any of these 'futurists' address the real ethical dilemmas?