With over 2500 attendees, over 200 speakers, and representatives from more than 100 international institutions, the Dubai Future Forum 2025—hosted by the Dubai Future Foundation at the Museum of the Future—came to an end after two days, solidifying its position as the largest futurist gathering. Prominent UAE officials, such as H.H Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed and H.H. Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed, demonstrated the country’s dedication to innovation and future readiness by attending and honouring the winners of the Dubai Future Solutions – Prototypes for Humanity program and the Dubai Foresight Awards. Dubai emphasized its forward-thinking approach throughout the Forum, which is based on foreseeing change, spotting opportunities, and instilling a global culture of foresight in institutions governments and societies. The rise of AI companions, wearables integration into daily life, and the long-term socioeconomic effects of automation—including a future in which there will be a marked decline in traditional employment—were all discussed by the speakers. A number of bold predictions were also made at the event, including the expectation that gene therapy will treat serious illnesses within five years, and possibly eradicate all genetic diseases within ten.

Our team members were invited to participate and represented the Early Warning and Economics & Energy programmes at Al Habtoor Research Centre (AHRC) during the Dubai Future Forum. Throughout the event, they took part in a series of insightful workshops exploring a range of foresight and future studies methodologies.

We were honoured to attend the “Foresight & Global Security” symposium convened by Fiker Institute on 17 November 2025 as part of Dubai Future Forum.

The symposium brought together leading thinkers such as Dr. Florence Gaub (NATO Defence College), Dr. Paul Simon Handy (Institute for Security Studies), Gelila Enbaye (Global Public Policy Institute), Dr. Edward Marques (CMI – Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation), as well as facilitators and moderators including Dubai Abulhoul, Dr. Patrick Noack, and associates from the UK Ministry of Defence.

Over several sessions — from the opening “Setting the Scene” to discussions on “Why Foresight Matters,” “Mediation and Conflict Resolution,” and “Trends Shaping the International Order” — the symposium explored how futures thinking, scenario planning and strategic foresight can strengthen conflict prevention, mediation, crisis-management and long-term resilience in an increasingly uncertain global landscape.

For us, participation reinforced the urgency of embedding foresight into our regional-security and strategic-research agenda: anticipating geopolitical shifts, preparing for novel risks, and informing governance and policy interventions with a forward-looking mindset.

Assessing Future Readiness: Which Tool?

During our participation, we attended the session “Assessing Future Readiness: Which Tool?” moderated by Dr. Heba Chehade from the Dubai Future Foundation, where she stressed on the importance of preparing society for the future by raising public awareness and improving understanding of emerging trends.

To improve future preparedness, Dr. Hazza Alnuaimi of the Executive Council of Dubai, emphasized the necessity of robust cooperation between the public and private sectors. He mentioned that to maximize their impact, the government is collaborating closely with private organizations and has already put several initiatives into action. The objective, he continued is to develop institutional capacities that can maintain long-term readiness in addition to individual preparation. Dr. René Rohrbeck, EDHEC Business Schools, highlighted the significance of fostering trust and making sure that all parties involved are prepared to handle upcoming difficulties, especially those brought on by AI. Dr. Alnuaimi reaffirmed this point, stressing that government organizations employ specific indices to assess preparedness for AI and guarantee broad understanding. He also underscored the need of ongoing monitoring and evaluation, supported by employee feedback, to measure development and enhance results.

Genomic Equity: Can Genomics Serve Everyone in the Future?

Dr. Vinod Gauba of GeneVault Lifesciences opened the discussion by highlighting a major gap in genomic equity across the region. He noted that Middle Eastern countries contribute only about 2% to global genomic data, leaving wealthier nations in control of genomic research and gene therapy. He argued that this disparity jeopardizes the idea that every country should both contribute to and profit from the development of genomic medicine, putting many nations at risk of falling behind.

Albarah El Khan from M42, Yusuf Henriques from IndyGeneUS Bio, and Dr. Man Zawati from McGill University, were among the panellists who elaborated on these issues. They cautioned that these differences could lead to wealthier nations monopolizing gene therapies, making them expensive goods beyond the reach of many communities. They warned, that without more robust cross-border cooperation, genomics might turn into a commodity accessible only to the wealthy.

Moreover, the importance of equitable benefit-sharing and collaborative, rather than risk-averse, regulatory frameworks was highlighted. Achieving true genomic equity was emphasized as requiring equal access, including for men and women, alongside initiatives to promote genomic literacy and public understanding of genetic science.

The Global Consumer 2035: What are World Markets Telling Us About the Future?

In the session, Linda Arvidsson (H&M Group), Anuradha Chugh (Business Leader and Purpose-Driven Advisor), Michael Costigan (Salesforce), and Meabh Quoirin (Foresight Factory) explored how rapidly evolving consumer behaviour will define the products and services of the next decade. The speakers emphasized that comprehending the consumer of 2035 necessitates a deeper examination of the underlying values, motivations, and emotional factors influencing purchasing decisions, rather than merely analyzing current trends. They stressed that when businesses find it difficult to understand what customers want, the solution frequently resides in going back to the beginnings of a brand or product story: analyzing why customers initially connected with it, what need it satisfied, and how that relationship developed. The panel emphasized that consumer insight is a strategic cornerstone of long-term innovation, and that the future market will reward companies that stay true to their purpose while adjusting to changing expectations.

Existential Hope: What Does a Future Worth Building Look Like?

César Santivañez (Future Fiction Magazine en Español), Dr. Anders Sandberg (Institute for Futures Studies), Tatiana Antonelli (Goumbook), and Beatrice Erkers (Foresight Institute) examined how societies can collectively imagine and shape a positive long-term future. The speakers emphasized the value of a social and inclusive strategy that allows individuals from all backgrounds to consider and participate in future visions. They argued that this transparency guarantees that no group is left behind in the process of change, and enhances societal cohesion.

Additionally, they emphasized the necessity of raising public awareness of emerging technologies, pointing out that rather than viewing the future only through the prism of risk or security, it should be framed primarily around opportunity, creativity, and human potential. The session underscored that creating a desired future starts with enabling people to envision it collectively, encouraging optimistic thinking and broad participation.