World Governments Summit 2025 opens with record global participation

The 2025 World Government Summit (WGS) opened in Dubai on Tuesday under the theme "Shaping Future Governments," attracting record international participation. The summit aims to bring together heads of state and government, international and regional organizations, global institutions, and leading experts to jointly explore future governance and key trends in critical areas.

The twelfth summit, which runs until February 13, hosted several forums on its first day, including the Future of Work Forum, the Government Experience Exchange Forum, the Government Services Forum, the Future Government Communication Forum, the Artificial Intelligence Forum, the Future Education Forum, the Future Transportation Forum, and the Gender Balance Forum. These forums covered several important areas, aiming to provide new ideas and directions for the future development of governments.

The day before the official opening of the summit, Monday, was designated as "Zero Day" for the 2025 World Government Summit. "Zero Day" also hosted several important forums, including the Arab Fiscal Forum, the Arab Youth Leaders Meeting, and the Arab Youth Leaders Forum, attracting wide participation from many well-known officials, visionaries, policymakers, and international organizations.

This year's World Government Summit attracted record international participation, including more than 30 heads of state and government, more than 80 international and regional organizations and global institutions, 140 government delegations, and thought leaders and experts. They will explore major global trends in more than 200 interactive sessions, through the sharing of more than 300 global speakers. The summit will also host more than 30 ministerial meetings and roundtables, with more than 400 ministers expected to participate.

The ninth Arab Fiscal Forum, jointly organized by the Arab Monetary Fund (AMF), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the UAE Ministry of Finance, focused on how to design efficient and equitable fiscal policies to address debt vulnerabilities and future challenges under increasingly tight financing constraints. Key issues discussed at the forum included subsidy reform, tax administration, and public sector enterprise reform. Speakers at the opening ceremony included Mohamed Al Hussaini, UAE Minister of State for Financial Affairs, Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, and Dr. Fahad Alturki, Director General and Chairman of the Board of the Arab Monetary Fund.

Other forum sessions, attended by Arab finance ministers and central bank governors, discussed macroeconomic developments and their impact on fiscal conditions; fiscal policy design choices in the face of increasing debt pressures; fiscal policy and climate resilience; and reforming tax systems to address large structural economic changes. These discussions aimed to provide Arab countries with strategies and recommendations for addressing current economic challenges.

"Zero Day" also hosted the Arab Youth Leaders Meeting, a shared platform for cooperation between policymakers and Arab youth, characterized by broad youth participation in all stages, including preparation, implementation, attendance, and participation. The meeting was organized in cooperation with the Arab Youth Center and with the support of local and regional governmental and non-governmental partners, who believe in the power and potential of youth.

During the meeting, participants explored several topics, including the Arab Youth Competitiveness Index: Thriving in a Rapidly Changing World; the League of Arab States' Vision; The Art of Etiquette: An Arab Perspective; The Last Drop of Oil: Seizing Opportunities; and Made in the Arab World. These topics aimed to stimulate youth's thinking about their own development and the future of the region.

The "Zero Day" of the World Government Summit 2025 also hosted the Arab Youth Leaders Forum. This is a dynamic platform dedicated to empowering the next generation of Arab innovators and professionals by leveraging mentorship programs, educational initiatives, and insights from prominent Arab leaders to foster entrepreneurship, leadership, and career development, helping youth prepare for the challenges of the future. Forum sessions explored topics such as cultivating young leaders for a new world and the economic situation in the Arab world. It examined the position of Arab leaders in fields such as entrepreneurship, sports, arts, and culture, while also discussing the role of young leaders in the planning and management of senior leadership positions.