UAE joins World Economic Forum to unveil ‘future’ report

DAVOS // The UAE and WEF unveiled a groundbreaking report titled “Global State of the Future” here on Wednesday.

Mohammed Al Gergawi, the Minister for Cabinet Affairs and the Future, and Klaus Schwab, WEF founder and executive chairman, announced the new study of trends in science, technology and communications.

Backed by research from independent experts, the report highlighted developments in six sectors affected by technology change – energy, education, transport, space, health and water.

Last year, Mr Al Gergawi committed Dubai to be a centre of study on the effect of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the rapid change in economic and social systems brought about by high-tech advances.

In energy, the report highlighted advances in wind, solar and water power “that gave us a cleaner way to live and helped us to better understand the forces of nature”.

In health, it pointed to developments that transformed treatment of the human body; while in education the advances in curriculums and policies that “allowed us to educate individuals in ways that were unattainable in previous eras”.

Advances in water technology allowed for the production of cleaner and cheaper supplies, with breakthroughs in desalination techniques enabling the conversion of seawater to usable supplies.

The report also highlighted developments in transport that have revolutionised communications. “With advancing solutions in driverless cars, rural medical deliveries and drones that function as car-plane hybrids, we acquired safer transportation methods that could help save lives.”

“These studies will serve as a reference for us as we strive to accurately forecast the trends of the future,” Mr Al Gergawi said.

“They will also serve as an incentive for all sorts of organisations to start working on solutions for the challenges that will arise in the future.”

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