The World Governments Summit 2026, kicking off on Monday, 2 February, serves as a unifying global platform that fosters ties, shared action, and collective intelligence, empowering governments to forge innovative visions for sustained stability and prosperity.
Day 0 of the Summit will host the UAE-Kuwait Economic Forum, Arab Fiscal Forum, the High-Level Investment Forum: Latin America and the Caribbean, the Young Arab Leaders Forum, and several forums as part of the World Laureates Summit, which convenes world-leading laureates. Day 0 will also feature several ministerial and high-level meetings addressing labor, youth, and AI, among other topics.
The UAE-Kuwait Economic Forum aligns with the leadership's directive to honor the enduring partnership between the two nations. This year's extended agenda features 25 global forums and over 45 ministerial and high-level meetings.
The Summit's agenda highlights five key themes: Global Governance and Effective Leadership; Societal Wellbeing and Building Capacities; Economic Prosperity and Strategic Investments; Urban Future and Evolving Demographics; Future Realities and Emerging Frontiers.
In addition to planned forums and meetings, the summit will issue 36 strategic reports in cooperation with international knowledge partners and will launch the 3rd edition of the Global Ministers Survey.
Honors at this year's World Governments Summit include the Best Minister Award, presented in partnership with PwC; the Most Reformed Government Global Award in collaboration with EY; the Dubai International Best Practices Award for Sustainable Development, held in collaboration with UN-Habitat and Dubai Municipality; and the Global Teacher Prize, in partnership with the Varkey Foundation.
Mohammad Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the World Governments Summit Organisation, highlighted that this year's edition has seen the highest-ever participation of global leaders, attesting to the Summit's significance as a premier platform for shaping the future and fostering proactivity and readiness in line with the UAE leadership's vision to contribute to strengthening international cooperation and solidarity.
Al Gergawi said, "The world is currently witnessing a comprehensive restructuring of traditional systems, a shift far beyond fleeting changes. These sessions are designed to diagnose the current global and regional climate and develop insights and approaches that empower governments in their new roles of ensuring prosperity and progress in a fast-changing world."
Marking the largest leadership participation in its history, the World Governments Summit 2026 will bring together more than 45 heads of state and government, over 15 deputy heads of state, more than 500 ministers, and over 150 governments.
The World Governments Summit Organisation revealed the agenda for the upcoming edition, running from 3rd to 5th February under the theme 'Shaping Future Governments.' The agenda aligns with major global shifts and rapid developments across vital sectors, offering a future-forward vision that addresses key challenges and opportunities while outlining the role of governments in laying the foundation for community development worldwide.
Convening over 6,250 decision-makers and thinkers, the World Governments Summit aims to formulate shared strategies and visions to enhance governance and international cooperation.
Day 1 will convene several forums including the Young Scientists Forum, the Artificial Intelligence Forum, the Government Experience Exchange Forum, and the New Ecuador Forum.
Key forums taking place on Day 2 of the World Governments Summit 2026 include the Global Government Regulatory and Justice Forum, the Geotechnology and Policy Forum, the Arab Public Administration Forum, the Future of Economy Forum, the Government Services Forum, the Future of Mobility Forum, the New Silk Road Forum, the Global Dialogue for Impact, the Sustainability Impact Forum, the Future of Education Forum, and the ICAO Aviation Leaders Programme.
Day 2 will also convene meetings and roundtables addressing the future of policies and behavioral sciences, the future of retail, multilateral trade systems, as well as an OECD and EU bilateral dialogue.
Day 3, which concludes the summit, will feature a keynote session with Mokhtar Ould Djay, Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.
Themes addressed during Day 3 meetings and roundtables include the future of the digital economy, the future of digital games, shaping future governments, the future of government human resources in the AI age, and others.
Key forums taking place on the closing day of the summit include the Emerging Economies Forum, the Future of Health Forum, and the 10th ACS International Cooperation Conference.
Jointly organized by the UAE and Kuwait, the forum is dedicated to fostering economic, commercial, and investment ties while highlighting the profound historical mutual bonds.
Other keynote sessions will address the future of communication, the experience economy, AI, the future of Latin America, and the future of investment in Africa, among other topics.
Global crises continue to test the endurance of international cooperation, and there is now a pressing need for inclusive forums that bring us closer. In this new landscape, governments can no longer afford to be reactive; they require a greater capacity to anticipate and act rather than wait.
