“The future belongs to those who can imagine it, design it, and execute it. It isn’t something you await, but rather create.”
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al MaktoumVice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai
“Creating the future we want requires determination, hard work and a specific and advanced set of skills, tools and technologies.”
H.H Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al MaktoumCrown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of the Executive Council, Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Dubai Future Foundation
Imagining, designing and executing Dubai’s future is at the heart of the Foundation’s remit. Risk-taking, agility and foresight are the key attributes driving the Foundation’s journey towards success.
The Foundation was born out of a key belief: leading in the present isn’t sufficient. It is the future that we must imagine, design and execute.
The Foundation is a reflection of the city it was born in; starting with humble beginnings yet driven with ambitious goals. Carrying the torch of innovation and following in the footsteps of our forefathers, the Dubai Future Foundation challenges the status quo, embraces risk-taking and places big bets to build a better future.
An airport is commissioned by a ruler of Dubai, with sand cleaved to run concrete runways. In around 60 years, this airport will become the world’s busiest.
A full decade before the UAE is formed, Khor Dubai, or the Dubai Creek, is dredged to allow larger vessels in. The city is determined to welcome the world.
A unified nation is created out of tribal lands by leaders of vision and foresight. The United Arab Emirates is born, and history as we know it is created.
With leadership’s visionary foresight, a gateway hub and a global trade link of the world is born in Dubai. Jebel Ali Port will earn the title as the largest man-made port in the world, connecting global markets and facilitating trade.
The Dubai Future Foundation is born to institutionalise future-shaping.
The Dubai Future Foundation builds a cohesive innovation ecosystem that includes, accelerator programs, incubators, labs, regulatory sandboxes, and knowledge platforms – all with the purpose of challenging the status quo and designing a future-ready city powered by future leaders and disrupters. Our activities, though interlinked, can be broadly categorised into five strategic business units:
