President Sheikh Mohamed welcomes global leaders ahead of World Governments Summit

Summit’s goal is to improve lives of communities, says Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid

President Sheikh Mohamed has welcomed world leaders to Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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President Sheikh Mohamed said the World Governments Summit is taking place in Dubai at a time when humanity is facing major challenges. The President welcomed the world's governments and leaders to the summit, reported state news agency Wam.

"We welcome world leaders and governments as guests of the UAE, which is once again bringing the world together through the World Governments Summit to engage in dialogue and share visions and ideas at a time when humanity is in urgent need of concerted and integrated efforts to address major challenges that can only be tackled through joint global action," said Sheikh Mohamed.

“In an interconnected world, no one is immune from the impact of the historical transformations taking place. This necessitates the co-ordination of shared visions and efforts to harness these transformations in achieving sustainable and equitable development for all."

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, said the aim of the World Governments Summit is to improve people's lives through strengthening global co-operation, building expertise and developing relationships. Sheikh Mohammed made his comments on the social media platform X ahead of the gathering, which begins in Dubai on Tuesday with a star-studded line-up expected over the course of the event.

“We welcome the guests of the World Governments Summit, which begins tomorrow with a record international participation,” said Sheikh Mohammed. “More than 30 heads of state and 140 government delegations, including 400 ministers, will engage with global business leaders and international organisations across more than 200 sessions covering all future sectors.

“The goal is clear: to strengthen global co-operation, build expertise, develop relationships, and draw inspiration from experiences to improve the lives of communities. Welcome to the governments of the world in Dubai and the UAE.”

Elon Musk, former UK prime ministers Tony Blair and Boris Johnson, the chief executive of Google, Sundar Pichai, and the presidents of Indonesia, Poland and Sri Lanka are some of the names confirmed for this week's event, which runs until Thursday, February 13. The theme of this year's event is Shaping Future Governments.

The summit is hosting prominent thought leaders and global experts, with more than 6,000 people expected to attend. An important part of the event will be major global transformation, with a focus on resulting opportunities and challenges.

Elon Musk, the world's richest man, who owns X and is leading efforts by US President Donald Trump to reduce the size of federal government via the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), is taking part in a plenary session on Thursday, called Boring Cities, AI and Doge.

Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair will be in conversation with Larry Ellison, co-founder of Oracle, on Reimagining Technology for Government On Wednesday. Boris Johnson, another former UK prime minister, will take part in a plenary session called A Conversation with Churchill, also on Wednesday. Louise “Liza” Araneta-Marcos, the first lady of the Philippines, will give an address the following day on climate adaptability and energy.