First Young Arab Leaders Forum to take place before World Governments Summit in Dubai

Future leaders from the Arab world expected to attend

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, announced the creation of the Young Arab Leaders Forum in December. Photo: Dubai Media Office

The first Young Arab Leaders Forum will be held on Monday in Dubai as part of the build-up to the World Governments Summit.

The forum, announced in December by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, will bring together more than 200 emerging leaders, according to Dubai Government Media Office.

The event will start with an opening speech by Khalfan Belhoul, chairman of the board of directors of the Young Arab Leaders initiative.

“The forum serves as a platform for meaningful conversations aimed at empowering Arab youth, harnessing their skill sets to drive social progress, and preparing a new generation of leaders capable of creating tangible change across future sectors,” said Mr Belhoul.

“The Young Arab Leaders Forum will play an important role in launching impactful initiatives in the coming period by leveraging the expertise of participating Arab leaders.”

Other highlights include a session with Marzouq Al Ghanim, former speaker of the Kuwaiti National Assembly, who will discuss the importance of preparing young leaders for the evolving challenges of the modern world.

Sheikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Minister of Finance and National Economy of the Kingdom of Bahrain, will be part of a session discussing the role of young Arab leaders in shaping the region’s economic future.

Rania Al Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Co-operation of Egypt, is scheduled to give a keynote speech on the readiness of youth and their role in planning and leadership in senior positions.

Omar Ghobash, UAE ambassador to the Holy See and Adviser to the UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, will deliver a speech on Young Leaders and the Future of Arab Diplomacy, exploring the role of youth in shaping the region’s global engagement, the media office reported.

As part of its long-term goals, the Young Arab Leaders initiative aims to attract 50,000 participants in the coming years.

“Our mission is to empower the leaders of tomorrow in the Arab region through a network that fosters exchange of expertise and drives positive change,” said Sheikh Hamdan on social media platform X, when announcing the forum in December.

“Our mission is to expand this network to 50,000 members, while launching pioneering initiatives and implementing transformative projects.”

Summit begins on Monday

The forum is taking place as part of the pre-event activities for the World Governments Summit 2025.

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 the World Governments Summit.

The summit, which runs from Tuesday to Thursday, 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.