We're holding the first ever meeting of our Global Future Councils in Dubai, from November 13-14. How do councils work, who are their members, and what do they hope to achieve? Find out here.
Members of the World Economic Forum tell the media what to look out for.
It's a major shift in the way our economies work, which is breaking down the barriers between man and machine.
The top emerging market destinations for career prospects are China and the UAE, according to a survey of 20,000 millennials. Watch a press conference discussing the results.
Participants discuss the key drivers of the global economy in the year ahead, what they mean for the UAE and the region as a whole.
"This is the biggest brainstorming meeting in the world," says Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum. Watch him discuss a turbulent time for global affairs with Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future for the United Arab Emirates.
Addressing the concerns that rose to the surface during America's divisive presidential election, Professor Schwab said:
"A significant part of the global elite lost a sense of solidarity when it was needed more than ever before. We’re living in a world of transparency and such a world cannot tolerate too much inequality."
But globalization - which has lifted millions out of poverty in emerging markets - was the wrong target.
"The problem that we have is not globalization. The problem is a lack of global governance, a lack of means to address global issues."
Striking a hopeful tone, Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi said: "The future is owned by those who imagine, design, and implement it."
For starters, just 10% of its population is Emirati, with foreign workers making up the bulk of the population. While Dubai already boasts the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, it's currently building an even taller one - as is Jeddah, in Saudi Arabia. Read more here.
Live now: a briefing on the future of the news industry.
Live now: America and the world are digesting the results of the most bitter and divisive campaign in history. We ask a selection of experts what will be the new leader’s priorities, what medium- and long-term implications we can expect and what these mean for the rest of the world.
"No question whether you look at Brexit or the US, what we’ve seen is a wholesale rejection of the elite, of people, power, influence and institutions. Institutions failed people during the financial crisis, people have seen almost every single institution fail to deliver, they’re going through the most profound change in industrial history. Having people buy into the process that creates their destiny is critical. A coalition of old folks in the establishment won’t cut it," said Suzanne Nora Johnson , Vice-Chair of The Brookings Institution.
Ida Auken, a Danish MP and participant here in Dubai, has written a thought experiment on what it will be like to live in the city of 2030. All goods will have been replaced by services, there will be no cars and no pollution - but outside the city walls, life looks very different.
It takes over an hour to fly from Dubai to Abu Dhabi. But this man wants to cut the trip to 12 minutes with a "hyperloop", an audacious plan to propel commuters through underground tunnels at supersonic speed. Read more about the technology here.
Ellen Stofan thinks we'll be ready to send humans to Mars by 2030. Follow our Facebook Live interview:
Our discussion on what it takes to lead responsibly in turbulent times is about to begin. Here's some background reading: Peter Maurer, President of the Red Cross and one of the speakers, on what we need to change by 2030 to solve the refugee crisis.
Good morning, and welcome to the second day of our brain-storming meeting in Dubai. Tune in to our Facebook page for a live chat about the cities of the future with Catharina Elmsäter-Svärd, Chair of Drive Sweden, Carlo Ratti, an architect who teaches at MIT, and Danish MP Ida Auken.
Discussing how transport will change in the transport of the future, Carlo Ratti said:
"Self-driving cars can be both heaven and hell. Heaven if we share more: could go down to 20% of the cars we have today if we share more: the car that’s parked could be used by our family, or by people we don't know.... It could be hell if the same technology is used in different ways. It will make using a car cheaper, so people might stop using the subway, start using public transport, and we get gridlock."
The city of the future will have to be greener than today's grey, congested urban centres, participants agreed. Ida Auken called for a different approach:
"I’ve always wondered: why do we want to fill out every space in our cities with concrete? We know that looking at trees makes us happy. It’s the first thing we teach our kids: the names of animals, of plants. We completely forget that we are extremely dependent on nature. I think creating liveability in cities is creating green. It’s about creating green canopies, bringing the temperature down in hot places, it’s getting water stored when it’s raining. Let’s get away from the idea that concrete everywhere is beautiful, it’s a bit stupid."
We're in a period of extreme instability, and inequality is one of the many complex factors at work. Here, Anabel Gonzalez at The World Bank, gives examples from around the world of innovations that can help to close the gaps in our societies in a Facebook Live interview.
The COP21 Paris Climate Agreement represented a triumph of modern democracy in uniting all nations behind an ambitious attempt to combat climate change. Now it’s under threat, as America looks likely to withdraw from the treaty under its next president. Coming up soon, a panel discussion looking at what can be done to keep progress on track. In the meantime, here's some background reading on the innovations that could save us from climate change.
Coming up in the next few minutes, a press conference with Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future of the the UAE.
"The future is owned by those who imagine, design, and implement it," the minister said yesterday in this session, Leading into the Future.
What skills will we need for the jobs of the future, and how are the complex trends of the Fourth Industrial Revolution playing out already?
Follow our discussion on how we can adapt to the changing nature of work:
Despite widening international backing for the landmark Paris climate agreement, the administration of US President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly looking for the quickest way to exit the accord.
Earlier in the year, the joint announcement by China and the US that they would ratify the agreement was heralded as a huge step towards affirmative climate action.
So, with Trump’s shock election victory, what can be done to keep the agreement on track?
Not surprisingly, this issues came up in our session, Keeping the Promise of Paris. Joan Clos, Undersecretary-General and Executive Director, United Nations Human Settlements Programme (more commonly known as UN-Habitat), said:
“We will see what is the reaction of the new administration of the United States. But do not expect immediate changes, because the processes of these international negotiations are long.
“I think we all know what we expect to happen… but apart from the US there is a growing legion of more and more member states to the agreement and I am sure that now in Marrakech at COP22 quite a lot of other countries will adhere.”
How important is it that the US, one of the world’s largest emitters of greenhouse gases, sticks to its promises?
Leonardo Beltran Rodriguez, Deputy Secretary for Planning and Energy Transition, Ministry of Energy of Mexico, said: “It’s both crucial to have coordination, in terms of what each country is trying to accomplish… In Paris, the commitments were made based upon the assumption that you are going to do what’s best for your country… domestic interest that reaches out to the global interest.
“It’s crucial to have as many countries on board, particularly ones as large as China and the US.”
Here's the full session:
"We're looking at the UAE as the world's largest innovation lab," said Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future of the United Arab Emirates. Find out about his six-point plan for harnessing the Fourth Industrial Revolution in this press briefing:
At the start of this meeting, Professor Klaus Schwab argued for more responsible global leadership:
Watch live as a panel discusses what progress has been made here in Dubai, and how we can move forwards to ensure new technologies benefit our societies.