Fourth edition of Dubai Future Forum opens tomorrow at the Museum of the Future

Fourth edition of Dubai Future Forum opens tomorrow at the Museum of the Future

The world’s largest gathering of futurists brings together more than 2,500 participants from 100 leading entities worldwide

Government of Dubai Media Office – 17 November 2025: Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF), the fourth edition of the Dubai Future Forum, the world’s largest gathering of futurists, will commence tomorrow, Tuesday, 18 November, at the Museum of the Future.

Organised by the Dubai Future Foundation and running until 19 November, the Forum will welcome more than 2,500 experts, futurists, decision-makers, and representatives from 100 global institutions and organisations, along with over 200 speakers participating in more than 70 sessions and dialogues underpinned by five main themes: Exploring the Unknown, Empowering Societies, Reimagining Health, Optimising Systems, and Foresight Insights.

Learning Days

This year’s edition introduces dedicated Learning Days, slated on 17 and 20 November, in collaboration with several local, regional, and international partners. From strategic symposiums to roundtables and closed-door discussions, these Learning Days explore five vital topics: foresight and Global security, foresight and strategic philanthropy, foresight and Wearable Technologies, Foresight and Urban Resilience, and Future of Media: ‘Who Tells the Future?’ roundtable session. These sessions bring together leading experts and specialists to discuss emerging trends, opportunities, and future challenges within these domains.

On the sidelines of the Forum, marking another first, Arab News in collaboration with the Dubai Future Foundation hosted a closed-door media roundtable that convened global media leaders, technology excutives, and industry experts. The roundtable discussed how the media can adapt and thrive amid rapid advances in technology and digital disruption, and emphasised the importance of regulation, policy, and trust in an era of AI transformation.

Sessions on Foresight and Global Security, organised by the FIKR Institute, explored how foresight tools can strengthen global dialogue and enhance understanding of international transformations and their increasing complexity. The Foresight and Strategic Philanthropy sessions, organised by the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation, examined the future of philanthropy and emerging models of impact.

Speakers in the Foresight and Wearable Technologies sessions, hosted by XPANCEO, shared real-world experiences in translating scientific research into practical solutions and discussed how breakthrough technologies can advance human–technology interaction. Meanwhile, the Foresight and Urban Resilience sessions, organised under Dubai’s Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Program supervised by Dubai Future Labs, addressed how cities and communities can build resilience in the face of climate change.

Day 1 highlights

Day 1 of the Forum will get underway with a keynote address by His Excellency Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of Dubai Future Foundation. A headline session titled ‘Navigating Change: Leadership in the Age of AI and Global Transformation’ will bring together Michael Miebach, CEO of Mastercard; and His Excellency Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, to discuss major global transformations in the era of artificial intelligence.

Throughout the day, the Forum’s agenda features several panel discussions including ‘Building a Regenerative Society: How Do We Redesign Our Foundations?,’ ‘Governance for the Long Term: How Can We Ensure Intergenerational Fairness?,’ ‘Mapping Inner Worlds: Can We Decode Human Consciousness?,’ ‘Today and Tomorrow: What Makes a Futurist?,’ and ‘Blueprints for Resilience: What is Industry's Role in Driving Economic Futures?.’

Additional sessions will explore the future of research and development, advances in proactive medicine, the evolution of global consumer behaviour leading up to 2035, and groundbreaking innovations emerging from the ocean depths, to name a few.

Prototypes for Humanity – Dubai Future Solutions Exhibition

The Prototypes for Humanity – Dubai Future Solutions Exhibition 2025 also opened today at AREA 2071 in Emirates Towers. Running until 20 November, the exhibition brings together the top 100 innovative projects selected from more than 3,000 submissions representing students, recent graduates, and professors from over 1,200 universities in 120 countries. At the end of the exhibition, five exceptional innovators will be awarded and provided support to advance their solutions, readying them for real-world application.

Dubai Foresight Awards

The Forum will also witness the announcement of the winners of the inaugural Dubai Foresight Awards, launched last year under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan. The awards celebrate leading futurists, innovators, and visionary thinkers across three key categories: Foresight Change Makers, Foresight for People, and Foresight for the Planet. The opening day will also feature the Future Stories Awards Ceremony, which honours writers and storytellers who inspire future generations through their creative work and contributions to future-focused thinking.

Staunch support

Dubai Future Forum 2025 is supported by leading strategic partners including Dubai Municipality and Emirates Global Aluminium, along with several global organisations and academic institutions such as UNICEF, Emirates Flight Catering, XPANCEO, The Explorers Club, FIKR Institute, Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation, The Dream Collective, Cinema Akil, Aquafina, and universities including Arizona State University, Higher Colleges of Technology, International Islamic University Malaysia, Hanze University of Applied Sciences, and many others.

For more information about the Dubai Future Forum 2025, please visit: 
www.dubaifuture.ae/dubai-future-forum-2025.