The world is on the cusp of a series of firsts that will redefine the future across several domains, from measuring economic progress to the rise of AI-driven leadership, Khalfan Belhoul, chief executive of the Dubai Future Foundation, has said.
Addressing more than 2,500 futurists, thought leaders and experts from about 100 countries at the 2024 Dubai Future Forum, Mr Belhoul outlined the rapid technological and societal shifts poised to transform industries worldwide.
In his speech at Dubai's Museum of the Future on Tuesday, Mr Belhoul emphasised that the coming year will not bring mere incremental change but will usher in ground-breaking developments that will alter the course of history.
"We live in extraordinary times," he told the packed auditorium. "What we're about to see in the next 12 months isn't just change, it's a series of era-defining moments."
During his speech, Mr Belhoul outlined seven potential achievements that the world could witness in the months ahead, highlighting transformative developments across a number of sectors.
One of the major changes he spoke about was future of measurement in terms of economic prosperity.
Traditionally, GDP has been the standard for assessing a country's success but Mr Belhoul pointed out that this measurement is becoming increasingly obsolete.
He highlighted the UN move to incorporate environmental and well-being indicators into GDP calculations, signalling a shift towards a more holistic view of national progress. "What will the world look like if GDP is no longer the main indicator of growth?" he asked.
Space exploration was another topic, with the Dubai Future Foundation chief executive sharing his excitement about humanity's potential return to the Moon.
He discussed Nasa's 2025 lunar mission, which the space agency says will have astronauts orbit the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years.
"The Moon is a constant reminder for us here in the UAE – and for our own ambitious space programme – to dream bigger and reach higher," he said.
Mr Belhoul also discussed the growing role of artificial intelligence in leadership, suggesting the next major shift could be the appointment of an AI-generated board member of a Fortune 500 company. "Can AI possess vision and purpose, or will it simply optimise for efficiency?" he said.
He also touched upon potential medical breakthroughs, mentioning Elon Musk's Neuralink, which has already made waves with its brain-computer interface technology that has been tested on a 29-year-old quadriplegic, allowing the man to play chess on a computer using his mind.
Mr Belhoul's speech also mentioned the growing promise of personalised health care, driven by the expansion of genome banks. He said one of the world's largest genome banks would soon surpass one million samples, potentially revolutionising health care by enabling earlier disease prevention and personalised treatment plans.
"This milestone would not just be a scientific achievement, it would be a gateway to reshaping our approach to health, identity and human potential," he said.
The chief executive stressed that the technological revolution – driven by AI, renewable energy and healthcare advances – will challenge industries to evolve or face obsolescence.
