During a Board of Trustees meeting, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF), stated that Dubai has established a top-notch framework to envision, plan and construct the future.
His Highness also praised Dubai as one of the most technologically advanced cities in the world and emphasized the emirate’s pioneering approach to creating effective collaborations, groundbreaking business models, and innovative workplace strategies. The meeting included an overview of the DFF’s accomplishments and significant milestones.
Dubai’s model for shaping the future, which has been inspired by the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, aims to institutionalise foresight and create an integrated system for long-term planning and success.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan said DFF is one of the most sought-after organisations in the world for institutions focused on exploring future trends and anticipating changes in a myriad of industries.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan said: “Dubai Future Foundation will continue to play a pivotal role in anticipating the future of technology, issuing reports and launching national strategies to deploy technologies with the potential to change work, life and the economy. We will continue to inspire global cities by designing the future of Dubai in collaboration with our public and private sector partners”.
His Highness was also briefed on major events organised by DFF, including the inaugural Dubai Future Forum. To date, DFF has organised nearly 1,000 events, gatherings and workshops that have attracted more than 73,000 participants. The Foundation has also played an instrumental role in enhancing Dubai’s position as a leading venue for the world’s largest gatherings of futurists and a testbed for disruptive ideas.
His Highness also received an update on the progress of the Dubai Future District Fund, an AED 1B investment fund launched to support entrepreneurs and startups, under the directives of Sheikh Mohammed. The value of these investments is expected to reach $1.7B in 2025.
The Fund will support the Future District, home to Emirates Towers, the World Trade Centre and DIFC, that will create an integrated ecosystem for shaping the future in partnership with government entities and the private sector, including multinational corporations and startups.
Sheikh Hamdan reviewed DFF’s major strategic initiatives, including the city Research and Development Program, a Robotics and Automation Program and the Program to Enable Drone Transportation, which support the Foundation’s goal of unlocking opportunities in clean energy, logistics, blockchain, autonomous mobility and 3D printing.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan said: “These strategies have already strengthened partnerships between Dubai’s government entities, resulting in synergies that have enhanced the quality of their skills and capabilities.
“As part of our firm belief that preparing for the future is a key element of success, we launched the Dubai Future Readiness Index during the World Government Summit 2023 to assess our government entities’ readiness for future challenges and changes.”
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan was briefed about the nearly 40 reports that DFF has published to date in cooperation with more than 75 local and global research institutions, which have received more than 170 recommendations. His Highness stressed that “the reports issued by the DFF have contributed to strengthening Dubai’s position as a global reference for experts, governments, and local and international institutions”.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan praised DFF’s success in attracting new startups to AREA 2071 at Emirates Towers, providing them with the support needed to scale locally and expand globally. Also, DFF’s Future Accelerators initiative has attracted more than 300 startups to date, helping them identify opportunities to develop innovative solutions in cooperation with government entities.
His Highness also noted the importance of government partnerships under the 10X initiative, which aims to create exponential change that will place the city ten years ahead of leading global cities. He stressed on the Dubai Future Academy’s important role in equipping a new generation of talent with the critical skills and tools needed to build a prosperous future. The Academy has already trained more than 25,000 people across 200 programmes, instilling a culture of innovation among government and private sector professionals.
