Davos 2025: Sheikha Latifa leads large UAE delegation as country looks to future opportunities

Government and business leaders to show the Emirates is open for business and ready to take the lead on AI

Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed, chairwoman of Dubai Culture, is leading more than 100 figures from the worlds of business and government. Victor Besa / The National

The UAE is setting out its stall as a global hub for business, entrepreneurship and culture, as a major delegation arrived at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Monday.

Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed, chairwoman of Dubai Culture, is leading more than 100 figures from the worlds of business and government. The Emirates sees the meeting of dozens of heads of state and thousands of decision makers and business leaders as a major opportunity for international collaboration.

The main theme of this year's forum is collaboration in the intelligent age. Ahead of the event, WEF leaders warned that too many governments were becoming more insular and raising barriers that will affect fields such as trade, as well as efforts to tackle global challenges.

Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, said the UAE would highlight its role as a "vital international partner in advancing comprehensive and sustainable development for all nations and communities".

"This engagement aims to foster comprehensive and sustainable development by sharing successful national experiences, building fruitful international partnerships, and leveraging global expertise," Mr Al Gergawi said.

For a third year, the UAE pavilion, placed prominently on the main promenade in central Davos and welcoming guests with its renowned hospitality, has the theme "Nothing is Impossible".

Among the most prominent business leaders attending is Khaldoon Al Mubarak, managing director and chief executive of Mubadala Investment Company.

He will speak in a panel on Tuesday about the global economic challenges facing many countries who have struggled since the pandemic.

Badr Jafar, the UAE's Special Envoy for Business and Philanthropy and chief executive of Crescent Enterprises, will also speak in a session about private sector opportunities in the world of aid and development.

"As we convene at Davos under the theme 'Collaboration for the Intelligent Age,' the UAE stands as a global champion of the multi-stakeholder approach," said Mr Jafar.

"By fostering innovation, championing inclusivity, and driving sustainable solutions, the UAE exemplifies how a whole-of-society ethos can address global challenges and actively shape the agenda for a more intelligent and sustainable future."

The UAE has experienced a boom in new businesses setting up in the country and a surge in population, while it has also welcomed thousands of high-net-worth individuals in the past year.

The inauguration of Donald Trump as US president, the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and how artificial intelligence will affect our lives are key themes that will run through the event this week.