Elon Musk, former UK prime ministers Tony Blair and Boris Johnson, the chief executive of Google and the presidents of Indonesia, Poland and Sri Lanka are among the names confirmed for next week's World Governments Summit.
Mr Musk, the world's richest man and owner of X, as well as leading efforts by US President Donald Trump to reduce the size of federal government, is taking part in a plenary session on Thursday, February 13, called 'Boring Cities, AI and DOGE'.
The conference runs in Dubai from February 11 to 13, under the theme of Shaping Future Governments. More than 30 heads of state and government, delegations from 140 governments, and representatives from more than 80 international and regional organisations and global institutions will be attendance, organisers say.
The summit will also host prominent thought leaders and global experts, with more than 6,000 people expected to attend. Major global transformation will be a key part of the event, with a focus on resulting opportunities and challenges.
Key speakers include:
- Prabowo Subianto, President of Indonesia
- Andrzej Duda, President of Poland
- Anura Kumara Dissanayake, President of Sri Lanka
- Tony Blair, former UK prime minister
- Sundar Pichai, chief executive of Google
- Abdulla bin Touq, UAE Minister of Economy
- Faisal F Alibrahim, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Economy and Planning
“The rapid transformations unfolding around us portend a new world with its unique set of tools, challenges and opportunities,” said Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, who is chairman of the World Governments Summit.
“This demands that governments prioritise resilience and efficiency in a continuous race against time to ensure a future of sustainable progress and development for all, meeting the aspirations of generations to come.
“The summit is committed to being the premier global platform to anticipate and explore the future, developing innovative solutions and forging international partnerships to benefit all communities based on scientifically and realistically grounded insights.”
Among the highlights are Mr Blair in conversation with Larry Ellison, co-founder of Oracle, on Reimagining Technology for Government. The Arab world will be discussed by Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary General of the League of Arab States, and Jassim Al Budaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Co-operation Council.
Boris Johnson, another former UK prime minister, will be taking part in a plenary session called A Conversation with Churchill on Wednesday, February 12. Louise "Lisa" Araneta-Marcos, first lady of the Philippines, will give an address the following day on climate adaptability and energy.
Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for AI, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, and vice chairman of World Governments Summit, will engage with Mr Pichai, chief executive of Google, while the implications of emerging economic blocs will be analysed by Abdulla bin Touq, Minister of Economy, and Faisal Al Ibrahim, Saudi Arabia's Minister of Economy and Planning.
