Dubai Future Forum to welcome 400 innovators

Event to be held at the Museum of the Future next Tuesday and Wednesday

Dubai's Museum of the Future will embody the forward-thinking spirit of the UAE's founding fathers, a senior Emirati minister said. Photo: UAE Government Media Office

The museum opened its doors to the public on February 22. Photo: UAE Government Media Office

Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, said that it would be much more than a museum, serving as a 'research lab' for the future. Photo: UAE Government Media Office

The museum will feature a dedicated space for children, helping to harness their love of learning. Photo: UAE Government Media Office

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, hailed it as the "most beautiful building on Earth". Photo: UAE Government Media Office

Workers are dwarfed by the Museum of the Future in this November 2019 picture. The intricate design is inspired by Arabic script. Antonie Robertson / The National

The striking structure was years in the making. Chris Whiteoak / The National

The opening date was pushed back several times and a 2020 opening date came and went as the pandemic hit. Photo: Dubai Media Office

This 2018 image shows the unique design taking shape. Antonie Robertson / The National

A cyclist poses for a photograph in front of the museum in November. AP Photo / Jon Gambrell

The unique facade was voted among the most striking in the world in a recent poll. AP Photo

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, visit the museum in September. Wam

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid tries out some of the museum's technological features. Wam

The inaugural Dubai Future Forum is set to take place at the Museum of the Future next week, with more than 400 of the world’s leading futurists, experts and innovators attending.

The forum will involve 30 sessions next Tuesday and Wednesday, and will focus on four main themes: the future of our world, mitigating existential risk through foresight, value and humanity, and hedging our bets through foresight.

More than 45 international organisations specialising in designing the future of different key sectors will discuss, debate and predict the future trajectory of the world.

“Hosting the Dubai Future Forum is a testament to Dubai’s efforts in fostering collaborations and attracting global experts to analyse and anticipate the future and the opportunities and challenges it withholds,” Dubai Future Foundation said on Tuesday.

“The forum supports the unique vision that has the potential to draw a clearer picture of the most impactful future transformations and ways to prepare for them.”

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Dubai Metaverse Assembly — in pictures

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It added that the forum aims to support the vision of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to make Dubai a global destination for future experts.

The event follows Dubai's hosting of its first Metaverse Assembly last week, which also took place at the Museum of the Future.

About 500 expert attended the two-day event, with highlights including a look at the UAE Ministry of Economy's metaverse headquarters, where people can hold meetings and even sign legal documents, an appearance from Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed and a glimpse of Meta's new devices such as a haptic glove which allows users to physically feel things happening in the metaverse.

The Museum of the Future opened in February. Spanning an area of 30,000 square metres, the seven-storey pillarless structure stands 77 metres tall. The stainless steel facade, which extends to more than 17,000 square metres, is illuminated by 14,000 metres of Arabic calligraphy.