Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils wraps up, with delegates told: "Don't be Afraid of the Future"

The inaugural Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils concluded on Monday, with the event’s co-chair Mohammed Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future, thanking delegates for their contribution, and telling them that the future is not something to be afraid of.

"It has been an honour to co-chair the councils with the esteemed Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum," Al Gergawi said in his closing remarks. He said he looked forward to welcoming the councils back to the city on November 12-13, 2017.

"It has been a successful two days, and we were delighted to host the sharpest minds in the world here in the UAE, as we strive to become the world’s platform to create the future," he said. "As many as 700 high-profile decision makers and experts came together in 35 different councils to proactively propose solutions for the most pressing future challenges. The objective of this event was never to simply talk about ideas; our main driver here is to take action and create a real change.

"As His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said at the beginning of the event: ‘The future doesn’t come to us; we must anticipate it, plan for it, and build it.’"

"I would like to leave you with the following message: The future is not something we should be afraid of. The Fourth Industrial revolution has the potential to benefit all humankind, if well regulated. It is important that we, as citizens of the world, collaborate in order to be better prepared," Al Gergawi added.

To that end Al Gergawi earlier in the day announced that the United Arab Emirates would take the lead in transforming the Fourth Industrial Revolution into a global movement for change through a six-pillar action plan, to be implemented in collaboration with the World Economic Forum. The pillars include establishing a global governance framework around the Fourth Industrial Revolution; setting up the global Fourth Industrial Revolution Council with the WEF; creating a local council that will report directly to the Cabinet; and promoting the UAE as an open lab to test the Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies The initiative demonstrated that the Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils is much more than a conference, H.E. Al Gergawi said – it is a platform for finding pragmatic and applicable solutions.

"The UAE Government realises the importance of planning for the future," he said. "With that in mind, it set off to proactively turn the technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution into reality."

More than 700 future experts from around the world were joined by 50 delegates from the UAE for the Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils, where they worked to formulate visions and initiatives that bring together government and private-sector institutions to find solutions for future challenges, turning them into opportunities that improve people’s lives and build a successful future.