The Dubai Future Forum 2025, held at the Museum of the Future, concluded after two days of high-level dialogue, bold predictions, and major global partnerships
The Dubai Future Forum 2025, organised by the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) at the Museum of the Future, concluded after two days of high-level debate, groundbreaking predictions, and significant strategic announcements. Welcoming more than 2,500 participants, over 200 speakers, and representatives from more than 100 international organisations, the event reaffirmed its status as the world’s largest gathering of futurists. DFF also confirmed that the next edition will be held on 17–18 November 2026.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees at DFF, attended the Forum alongside His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. His Highness honoured the winners of the inaugural Dubai Foresight Awards and met participants from the fifth cohort of the Dubai Future Experts Programme and the second cohort of the “FEEL: A Disruptive Futures Programme”.Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture, also attended the Forum, presenting awards to the winners of the Dubai Future Solutions – Prototypes for Humanity programme, held under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed.His Excellency Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Managing Director of DFF, emphasised that Dubai’s globally recognised future design model—shaped by the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum—is built on proactive readiness, continuous anticipation of change, and deep analysis of emerging trends.
“Foresight is central to everything we do,” he said. “It enables us to define priorities and objectives in ways that support individuals and societies worldwide.”Landmark Announcements and Global FirstsAmong the Forum’s major announcements was the confirmation by His Excellency Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, that Dubai recorded the first-ever commercial agentic AI payment transaction outside the United States. Conducted by Mastercard in partnership with Majid Al Futtaim, the transaction took place on the opening morning of the event.The fourth edition of the Forum was also marked by a series of remarkable predictions. In his opening remarks, His Excellency Khalfan Belhoul highlighted three defining shifts for humanity’s future: focus emerging as the “new currency” amid shrinking attention spans; a world where information overload means “everyone and no one is an expert”; and the rise of AI companions who may redefine long-held notions of friendship.Bold Forecasts: From Gene Therapy to AI, Demographics, and GovernanceForum experts predicted that gene therapy will cure blood and liver diseases within five years and that all 4,000 known genetic disorders could be eliminated within a decade. Other forecasts included:
Future public policy will place human well-being and ethical governance at its centreHuman bodies equipped with advanced wearables will become the natural interface for daily AI.By 2028, 30% of Fortune 500 CEOs will have a digital twin.Fully omniscient AI systems could pose existential risks if left unchecked.By 2060, for every 100 working individuals, 52 may be unemployed due to shifting demographics and automation.Academic institutions may transition from leading innovation to coordinating it across sectors as AI reshapes research and development.
Sessions also highlighted major global data points: global child mortality has halved over the past 25 years; the UN’s System of National Accounts 2025 will, for the first time, include environmental sustainability and well-being as measures of national growth; global solar capacity exceeded 2,200 GW by the end of 2024; nearly two billion people still lack access to clean drinking water; and the UAE is developing a research base in Antarctica for more than 50 people.Strengthening the Global Foresight CommunityDFF announced that 31 new international institutions have joined the Global Futures Society (GFS), headquartered at the Museum of the Future. This brings total membership to 91 experts and institutions from 33 countries.The Forum also raised urgent global questions: the value of efficiency without parallel improvements in human well-being; society’s readiness for a world where agentic AI systems act autonomously; the need to rebuild humanity’s relationship with nature while embracing advanced technologies; and how nations will redefine progress as the world moves beyond GDP-centric models.Workshops, Reports, Awards, and Global PartnershipsOver its two days, the Forum hosted specialised workshops with major consultancies, thematic symposia with global institutions, and various high-impact events, including UNICEF’s launch of its report The Future of Childhood in a Changing World.The Forum’s discussions were organised around five core themes: Foresight Insights, Exploring the Unknown, Empowering Societies, Reimagining Health, and Optimising Systems.The second day saw the awarding of the Future Stories Awards, celebrating three exceptional authors chosen from 185 submissions across 47 countries.First place: Above a Simulated Nile by Thomas Knuijver (Netherlands)Second place: The Awakening by Pierluigi Fasano (Italy/Switzerland)Third place: The Safe Space by Maryam Al Shawab (UAE)
