Scheduled to take place in Dubai from February 11 to 13, the event will bring together over 200 speakers including world leaders, heads of states and entrepreneurs to discuss collaboration between governments.
Photo: File
Mohammad Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the World Governments Summit Organisation, announced that this year's summit will host over 30 heads of state and government, more than 80 international organisations, 140 government delegations, and over 6,000 participants.
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According to Mohammed Al Sharhan, Managing Director of the World Government Summit, he is excited about Larry Ellison's session.“Ellison has not spoken in an open platform for the last 15 years,” he told Khaleej Times on the sidelines of a press conference to announce the program of WGS 2025.
“It will be interesting to hear from him on his future plans and the product that he is trying to build to help governments be more efficient and do their jobs in a better way.”
Photo: AFP
Over the past 12 years, WGS has become one of the world's largest and most influential forum for governments. This year, the summit's agenda features 21 forums covering six key themes including health transformation, governance, and crisis mitigation.
Tech Focus
Artificial intelligence and technology will be a major focus at this year's summit. Mohammed said the discussions will be interesting due to the presence of tech experts from all over the world.“We will be having tech leaders from both the East and the West and that is something very important,” he said.“It will be very interesting to hear the perspective from tech leaders from China and tech leaders from the US on their views on the future of that sector.”
He stated he would also be keen to attend the session by Alphabet CEO Sunder Pichai.“I think Google is trying to position itself as a leader in AI and technology as it has done in the past, so it will be interesting to hear also from him how can they complement what governments are trying to do and how they can compete in a world where almost everyone is competing in the race of AI.”
Held under the theme Shaping Future Governments, this year's WGS will bring together thought leaders to foster international cooperation and identify innovative solutions for future challenges, ultimately inspiring and empowering the next generation of governments.
Heads of states
In addition to entrepreneurs, several heads of states including the president of Indonesia, Prabhowo Subianto, Sri Lankan president Anura Kumara Disanayake and Kuwaiti prime minister Ahmad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah will attend the event.
Mohammed added that it will be the first time the Sri Lankan president will take to the stage at a global event after being elected to office in September 2024.“I am expecting him to share some of his ambitions and aspirations for the future of his country,” he said.“We will also have the chief advisor who's responsible for the government in Bangladesh participating at the summit. It will be interesting to hear from him the plans on how he's trying to lead the future of Bangladesh.”
In 2024, Bangladesh's long-serving Sheikh Hasina was forced to resign after violent protests against her policies. Since then, Mohammed Shahabuddin has been elected as the president.
Reports
The summit will launch 30 strategic reports across various sectors. These reports, developed in collaboration with leading think tanks and research institutions, will offer key indicators, models, and innovative solutions to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, enhance government preparedness and resilience, and foster greater international cooperation.
The summit will also present several prestigious global awards including the Best Minister in the World Award, the Creative Government Innovations Award, the Global Award for Best Government Applications, the Global Government Excellence Award, and the Best Teacher in the World Award.
The summit will launch the Global Ministers Survey, inviting ministers worldwide to share their insights on critical global issues and contribute to collaborative solutions. Additionally, it will also host the annual gathering of TIME100's most influential people in AI.