Davos 2022: UAE and WEF team up to boost future co-operation

The partnership aims to develop comprehensive future plans and strategies

Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, said the UAE is committed to designing new work models. Photo: AFP

The UAE has joined forces with the World Economic Forum to explore future opportunities and support global efforts to achieve mutual objectives.

The agreement, called the UAE-WEF Sustainable Global Strategic Partnership, aims to develop “comprehensive future plans and strategies”.

It was unveiled during a high-level meeting between Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, and Klaus Schwab, WEF founder and executive chairman, which was held on the sidelines of the Forum's annual meeting in Davos.

The UAE is committed to designing new work models that support futureproofing governments and improve people's lives as a whole, Mr Al Gergawi said.

“This can be attained through focus on the foundations of proactive strategic thinking, comprehensive plans and renewable systems to design and advance future policies in line with the global developments.

“The UAE plans to realise this through steadfastly sharing its advanced model for future forecasting and futureproofing, along with enhancing government resilience and readiness,” he said.

The UAE-WEF partnership intends to bolster the Emirates’ national strategies and achieve its future vision across different fields. It also supports the WEF’s objectives by leveraging innovation, technology, artificial intelligence, and Fourth Industrial Revolution solutions and tools across various sectors.

The UAE shares a remarkable vision of innovation for the global common good, Mr Schwab said.

The WEF is “proud of our many partnerships together, which aim to mobilise public and private sector action to address global food security, climate resiliency, trade innovation and responsible technology innovations as some of the world’s most challenging issues”, Mr Schwab said.

More than 2,000 government officials, decision makers, scholars, scientists and leaders from the private sector and academia attend the WEF’s annual meeting. It is focused on creating new ideas that enhance readiness across governments and the private sector.

The UAE-WEF partnership strives to support and boost co-operation and integration through four main pillars — the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution UAE; reinforcing public-private sectors partnerships; supporting the participation of UAE ministers and government officials in meetings, conferences and events organised by the WEF regionally and globally; and holding a special summit that focuses on future opportunities and defining challenges for which the world must prepare.

Opened in January 2019, the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution UAE plays a strategic role in shaping and strengthening the future of technology. It works on national strategies and plans, and the mechanisms for realising them through public-private partnerships.

Through this centre, the UAE is leading the region’s contribution to the development of new technologies such as precision medicine, artificial intelligence and blockchain.

The government also signed a strategic partnership that focuses on organising the annual meetings of the Global Future Councils, in partnership with the WEF, in the next two years. These meetings will host more than 300 government officials, experts and specialists to discuss new trends and future changes in 20 major councils.