Presidents, prime ministers, business leaders, philanthropists gather in Dubai to map-out sustainable future for citizens

GLOBAL political and business decision makers, NGOs and philanthropists chose the seventh World Government Summit, WGS 2019, in Dubai to create a vision for a brighter, more sustainable future world this week.

Imran Khan, Pakistan prime minister, spoke of a new era for investment opportunities in the country as it seeks to unshackle itself from the corruption that has marred its reputation for many years.

Paul Kagame, the president of a resurgent Rwanda, said Africa could realise its full potential by becoming one united continent. “Young Africans must be given a real stake in the future of their continent,” he said, as he addressed a brimming plenary hall at Madinat Jumeriah.

Earlier on the day, Tuesday, February 12 Harrison Ford, an actor-turned-philanthropist, said climate change was the greatest moral crisis of our time.

At the start of the week, leadership expert and entrepreneur Tony Robbins announced he is collaborating with the UAE leadership on a humanitarian project to feed one billion people.

In a world first on Monday, February 11 Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid, the Dubai’s crown prince, said that cities of the future could become the world’s bread basket to meet soaring global population growth.

Talking to CNN’s Richard Quest, Christine Lagarde, the IMF managing director, candidly said artificial intelligence will drastically reshape the future of jobs and human intelligence, adding that even her own job will be “adjusted” in the future.

And just a week after the first ever Papal visit to the Arabian Peninsula, Pope Francis addressed the summit via a live video, where he said the UAE has started a new historical chapter in a modern, tolerant world.

The three-day World Government Summit 2019 runs until February 12 at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai. The landmark event convened more than 4,000 participants from 140 countries, including heads of state and governments, and top-tier representatives of 30 international organisations.

– Feb. 12, 2019 @ 15:47 GMT |