Dubai Future Foundation hosts Future Generations Commissioner for Wales in fireside chat

Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) hosted a fireside chat under the theme ‘A Short History to the Future: Government’s Role in Enabling Future Generations’ as part of Dubai Future Talks with the participation of Sophie Howe, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales – the only person in the world to hold such post, and HE Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of DFF.

Moderated by Dr Patrick Noack, Executive Director of Future Foresight and Imagination at DFF, the session explored methods and strategies related to shaping a better future for the current and next generations. The participants examined the most prominent sectors and areas on which governments should focus to accelerate the implementation of current plans for the future.

Howe highlighted the significance of exchanging experience in anticipating future challenges and preparing plans to build a better future in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She emphasized that to raise standards of living, it is crucial to measure progress on the SDGs through comprehensive indicators that identify priorities for the next stage of implementation.

Howe also stressed the importance of leveraging creative sectors, such as culture and the arts, to improve lives, studying current trends, defining future goals, and integrating short- and long-term development plans. She noted that governments must increase public awareness about the importance of planning for the future based on accurate data that provides a full picture and informs policies.

For his part, Belhoul said that under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Dubai is on the right track to implementing its unique future vision based on creative thinking and calculated risk-taking.

He presented an overview of DFF’s initiatives and projects that involve government entities and society in designing the future and disseminating successful practices in the public and private sectors at the local and global levels. He added that designing the future is a human-centric process, and that the main role of advanced technology is to serve people, make their lives easier and ensure a better future for them.

Dubai Future Talks, an initiative by DFF, is a physical and online platform that brings together a global community of visionaries, change-makers and pioneers to share their experience, insights and research with the world. By organizing such dialogues that is inspiring, engaging and digestible, DFF spearheads global conversations about the future.