The World Governments Summit is an annual event since 2013, held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It brings together leaders in government for a global dialogue with a focus on issues of futurism, technology and innovation. The summit acts as a knowledge exchange hub between government officials, thought leaders, policy makers and private sector leaders to discuss future trends, issues and opportunities facing humanity. The summit has typically hosted approximately 90 speakers from 150 participating countries, along with some 4000 attendees.
History The World Governments Summit was formed in 2013 by a team of experts from different disciplines to bring government, business and civil society together with the goal of improving the future for the seven billion people on the planet. The chairman of the World Governments Summit is Mohammad Al Gergawi with Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi and Omar Al Olama serving as Vice Chairs of the organization.
In 2015, under the directive of His Highness Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum (Ruler of Dubai) and Mohammad Al Gergawi (chairman of the summit's organizing committee and minister of the UAE Cabinet Affairs & The Future) announced ten key changes to take the summit to a new global level. The changes included changing the summit's name from Government Summit to World Governments Summit, changing the entity structure and adopting the goal of providing integrated knowledge services for over 150 governments and global organizations. In 2016, the World Governments Summit Organization adopted a new year-round membership system. Members have exclusive invitations to attend the summit, communicate directly with its top speakers and attendees, receive reports issued by the summit ahead of general public, gain exclusive access to private functions held on the sidelines of events, and have access to training workshops and executive education programs hosted by the summit in collaboration with global experts. As of 2018, reports for the public about issues explored at the summits were typically issued by Summit members and contributors, on the World Governments Summit website, and many conferences speeches were available on the Youtube Channel for the World Governments Summit.
Themes The first World Governments Summit was held in Dubai in 2013, and has been held annually since then. In 2013, themes included building citizen trust in governmental entities, social media as a tool for civic engagement, private-public sector partnerships, and measuring development.
In 2014, themes included partnerships and innovation in government service delivery, government smart toolboxes (using information technology for citizen engagement, anti-corruption efforts and helping citizens affected by conflict) and digital government. In 2015, themes included smart cities, innovation, and better jobs. In 2016, themes included the Sustainable Development Goals, the state of sustainability, and advanced science and the future of government (robotics and artificial intelligence, genomic medicine and biometrics). In 2016, the summit included an inaugural Best Minister in the World award which was awarded to Greg Hunt, at that time Australian Minister of Federal Environment, later appointed as Australian Minister of Health. In 2017, the summit focused on four main themes: 1) climate change & food security, 2) citizen well-being & happiness, 3) government agility and geopolitics & humanitarian aid, with the goal of focusing on fundamental questions that aim to pave the way for that future across the globe. The summit was held under the patronage of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai, and included participation of seven international organizations as strategic partners, including the International Monetary Fund, the United Nations, UNESCO, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the World Economic Forum. In 2018, the themes included artificial intelligence and happiness. In 2023, the summit was held under the theme of “Shaping Future Governments”. It brought together 20 heads of state and government, 250 ministers, along with the participation of 10,000 private sector leaders, global experts, and thought leaders to tackle future opportunities, trends, and challenges. In 2026, The World Governments Summit 2026 took place from 3 to 5 February, with preparatory events on 1 to 2 February. The summit adopted the theme “Shaping Future Governments” and recorded its largest participation to date, with more than 35 heads of state, representatives from over 150 governments, and 400 speakers. During the opening session, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced at the World Governments Summit plans to prohibit users under the age of 16 from accessing social media platforms.
Speakers World Government Summit speakers have included:
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