emirates7 - The UAE Government and the World Economic Forum (WEF) have announced that the 2025 edition of the Global Future Councils (GFCs) will take place in Dubai from October 14 to 16, 2025.
This upcoming edition marks another milestone in the long-standing partnership between the UAE and the WEF, building on over 16 years of successful collaboration. Since their inception, the GFCs have brought together more than 280 councils and over 6,600 global experts and specialists to explore issues central to human development and the future.
Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, UAE Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Co-Chair of the Global Future Councils, highlighted that the initiative reflects the shared vision of the UAE and the WEF—to promote future-oriented thinking and motivate societies to take an active role in shaping and implementing innovative solutions.
“For over 50 years, our partnership with the World Economic Forum has focused on creating an inclusive platform for open global dialogue about the future, always placing humanity at the heart of our efforts,” said Al Gergawi. “This embodies the UAE leadership’s commitment to meaningful international cooperation aimed at building a better future.”
WEF President and CEO Børge Brende emphasized that today's complex global challenges—ranging from technology to environmental and economic issues—are deeply interlinked. He noted that the GFCs’ unique strength lies in their multidisciplinary approach, bringing together diverse experts to uncover new opportunities for global collaboration.
The 2025–2026 term of the Global Future Councils will focus on producing forward-thinking insights to help navigate global uncertainty, understand geopolitical shifts, and interpret an increasingly complex world.
This edition will include 36 councils, comprising 700 experts from over 580 institutions across 93 countries. Each council will be balanced to ensure a third of its members come from business, another third from academia and thought leadership, and the remaining third from governments, international organisations, and civil society.
Ahead of the October event, the UAE Government and the WEF convened an introductory meeting to brief council members on the objectives for the upcoming term and the strategic priorities that will shape their work over the next two years.
During the meeting’s opening session, Ruqayya AlBlooshi, Executive Director of International Affairs at the UAE Prime Minister’s Office, and Martina Szabo, Head of Knowledge Communities at the WEF, presented the roadmap for the councils’ work.
AlBlooshi highlighted the UAE’s central role in cultivating an inclusive and influential future-focused network, which has contributed to generating nearly $8 trillion in global economic value and impacted 683 million people across 158 countries.
She noted that the UAE’s longstanding partnership with the WEF has resulted in the creation of hundreds of think tanks and fostered collaboration among thousands of experts and thought leaders from more than 93 nations. Hosting the GFCs in the UAE reinforces its status as a key global center for dialogue and cooperation, she said.
AlBlooshi also pointed to the tangible impact of the councils on global initiatives, citing the GFC on Agile Governance as an example. That council’s thought leadership has influenced the adoption of adaptive regulatory models in seven countries to keep pace with emerging technologies.
Szabo traced the evolution of the councils from their early days as “Global Agenda Councils” in 2008 to their current form, noting their ongoing influence on major international gatherings such as the Annual Meeting of the New Champions in China, the Sustainable Development Impact Meetings in New York, the Growth Summits in Geneva, and the annual WEF meeting in Davos.
She outlined the latest objectives of the councils, which include deepening cross-sector collaboration, sharing insights and data, identifying emerging global challenges and technologies, and fostering cooperation between the public and private sectors based on evidence and data. What sets the GFCs apart, Szabo noted, is their consistent ability to deliver real and meaningful global impact.
Since their founding, the Global Future Councils have brought together more than 6,600 members across over 280 councils, with representation from around 100 countries, 1,500 companies, 800 academic institutions, 600 civil society organisations, and 50 international entities.
This upcoming edition marks another milestone in the long-standing partnership between the UAE and the WEF, building on over 16 years of successful collaboration. Since their inception, the GFCs have brought together more than 280 councils and over 6,600 global experts and specialists to explore issues central to human development and the future.
Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, UAE Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Co-Chair of the Global Future Councils, highlighted that the initiative reflects the shared vision of the UAE and the WEF—to promote future-oriented thinking and motivate societies to take an active role in shaping and implementing innovative solutions.
“For over 50 years, our partnership with the World Economic Forum has focused on creating an inclusive platform for open global dialogue about the future, always placing humanity at the heart of our efforts,” said Al Gergawi. “This embodies the UAE leadership’s commitment to meaningful international cooperation aimed at building a better future.”
WEF President and CEO Børge Brende emphasized that today's complex global challenges—ranging from technology to environmental and economic issues—are deeply interlinked. He noted that the GFCs’ unique strength lies in their multidisciplinary approach, bringing together diverse experts to uncover new opportunities for global collaboration.
The 2025–2026 term of the Global Future Councils will focus on producing forward-thinking insights to help navigate global uncertainty, understand geopolitical shifts, and interpret an increasingly complex world.
This edition will include 36 councils, comprising 700 experts from over 580 institutions across 93 countries. Each council will be balanced to ensure a third of its members come from business, another third from academia and thought leadership, and the remaining third from governments, international organisations, and civil society.
Ahead of the October event, the UAE Government and the WEF convened an introductory meeting to brief council members on the objectives for the upcoming term and the strategic priorities that will shape their work over the next two years.
During the meeting’s opening session, Ruqayya AlBlooshi, Executive Director of International Affairs at the UAE Prime Minister’s Office, and Martina Szabo, Head of Knowledge Communities at the WEF, presented the roadmap for the councils’ work.
AlBlooshi highlighted the UAE’s central role in cultivating an inclusive and influential future-focused network, which has contributed to generating nearly $8 trillion in global economic value and impacted 683 million people across 158 countries.
She noted that the UAE’s longstanding partnership with the WEF has resulted in the creation of hundreds of think tanks and fostered collaboration among thousands of experts and thought leaders from more than 93 nations. Hosting the GFCs in the UAE reinforces its status as a key global center for dialogue and cooperation, she said.
AlBlooshi also pointed to the tangible impact of the councils on global initiatives, citing the GFC on Agile Governance as an example. That council’s thought leadership has influenced the adoption of adaptive regulatory models in seven countries to keep pace with emerging technologies.
Szabo traced the evolution of the councils from their early days as “Global Agenda Councils” in 2008 to their current form, noting their ongoing influence on major international gatherings such as the Annual Meeting of the New Champions in China, the Sustainable Development Impact Meetings in New York, the Growth Summits in Geneva, and the annual WEF meeting in Davos.
She outlined the latest objectives of the councils, which include deepening cross-sector collaboration, sharing insights and data, identifying emerging global challenges and technologies, and fostering cooperation between the public and private sectors based on evidence and data. What sets the GFCs apart, Szabo noted, is their consistent ability to deliver real and meaningful global impact.
Since their founding, the Global Future Councils have brought together more than 6,600 members across over 280 councils, with representation from around 100 countries, 1,500 companies, 800 academic institutions, 600 civil society organisations, and 50 international entities.