ABU DHABI // The UAE should invest "heavily" in education to create products and compete in a global market, Gordon Brown said in a lecture in the capital.
Mr Brown, a former British prime minister, spoke on Thursday night at an event organised by New York University - Abu Dhabi and praised the UAE for its plans to diversify its economy.
"The [UAE has] made a bold decision not to rest on oil," Mr Brown told the audience.
"Its future lies not just on resources like oil but in developing skills of people. What should be done is to persuade more of your citizens, more of the Emiratis, to get into education ... because that is the key - not just the way the public sector is run, but also key to the industries and services.
"The UAE should invest heavily in education and train its population so it has the skills and the encouragement to develop products that really are superior and world-class. That is the way for the future."
He said nations must co-operate, but must also make sure they do not lose their individual cultures.
"We are in the middle of a huge revolution that will change this world forever," he said.