Twenty presidents and hundreds of ministers will meet in Dubai next week when the city hosts its annual World Government Summit.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi and Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan are among the heads of state who are scheduled to attend.
Dubai officials revealed the list of guests and agenda-leading items on Sunday, before the event at the Madinat Jumeirah complex from Monday February 13 to Wednesday February 15.
Climate change, the future of jobs, future of society and city design are up for discussion.
Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, will present a keynote speech to review his emirate’s vision.
“The summit has become a point to exchange expertise, knowledge and ideas,” said Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and chairman of the event.
Klaus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum, Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund, and Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organisation, will participate.
In total, 250 ministers and more than 10,000 officials will attend 22 international sub-conferences, where more than 300 speakers will highlight the topics of sustainability, health care, economy, technology and establishing policies and strategies for governments.
IIham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan, Macky Sall, President of Senegal, Mario Abdo Benitez, President of Paraguay, and other leaders will attend.
“The last 10 summits were a platform for innovation which succeeded in shaping governments' policies and avoiding mistakes. The summit will be for global alliances and partnerships,” Mr Al Gergawi said.
He added that speeches will be delivered by Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres and President of the World Bank David Malpass during the summit.
Ray Dalio, the American billionaire investor and founder of Bridgewater asset management firm, Christian Bruch, president and chief of Siemens Energy, Alan Schwartz, chief of Guggenheim Partners, Hiroshi Mikitani, founder and chief executive of Rakuten, and other businesspeople will be participating this year.
The summit will host the economist Esther Duflo, an expert on how to tackle poverty, and the chemist Dr Roger Kornberg, who won a Nobel Prize for his work in the field of RNA.
Omar Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, said the summit will address challenges such as climate change and technologies that have an impact on our world such as cryptocurrency and AI.
Five awards will be presented at the summit, for the best minister, best M-government, edge of government, global universities challenge and global government excellence.
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Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
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