Monday marked Day Zero of the World Governments Summit 2025, featuring several key forums
The World Governments Summit (WGS) 2025 opened on Tuesday in Dubai under the theme “Shaping Future Governments,” drawing record international participation.
Running until February 13, the 12th edition of the summit brings together heads of state and government, international and regional organizations, global institutions, and leading experts to explore key future trends in governance and critical sectors.
The opening day features multiple forums, including the Future of Work Forum, Government Experience Exchange Forum, Government Services Forum, Future of Government Communication Forum, Artificial Intelligence Forum, Future of Education Forum, Future of Mobility Forum, and Gender Balance Forum.
Yesterday, Monday marked Day Zero of the World Governments Summit 2025.
Day Zero featured several key forums, including the Arab Fiscal Forum, the Arab Meeting for Young Leaders and the Young Arab Leaders Forum, amidst wide participation from prominent officials, visionaries, decision makers and a host of international organizations.
The 12th edition of the World Governments Summit is seeing record international participation, featuring over 30 heads of state and government, more than 80 international and regional organizations and global institutions, 140 government delegations alongside thought leaders and experts discussing major global trends during more than 200 interactive sessions featuring over 300 global speakers. The Summit will also host over 30 ministerial meetings and roundtables attended by more than 400 ministers.
The 9th Arab Fiscal Forum
The 9th Arab Fiscal Forum, jointly organized by the Arab Monetary Fund (AMF), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the UAE Ministry of Finance, focused on designing efficient and equitable fiscal policies to address debt vulnerabilities and future challenges amid tighter financing constraints. Key topics included subsidy reforms, tax administration, and public sector enterprise reforms.
Speakers at the forum’s opening session included Mohamed Al Hussaini, minister of State for Financial Affairs in the UAE; Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund; Dr. Fahad Al Turki, director-general and chairman of the Board of the Arab Monetary Fund.
Other sessions at the forum, attended by Arab ministers of finance and governors of central banks, addressed the Macroeconomic Developments and Implications for Fiscal Position; Options for Fiscal Policy Design in the Face of Mounting Debt Pressures, Fiscal Policy and Climate Resilience, and Revamping Tax Systems for Large Structural Economic Change.
Arab Meeting for Young Leaders
Day Zero also featured the Arab Meeting for Young Leaders, a shared platform for collaboration between decision-makers and Arab youth, that is characterized by its extensive engagement of youth in all phases, including preparation, implementation, attendance, and participation.
The meeting was hosted in collaboration with the Arab Youth Centre, and was supported by governmental and non-governmental partners, both local and regional, who believed in the idea and trusted the youth.
Sessions at the meeting included Arab Youth Competitiveness Index: Thriving in a Rapidly Changing World, The Vision of the League of Arab States, The Art of Etiquette: An Arab Perspective, The Last Drop of Oil: Seizing Opportunities, Made in the Arab World among others.
The Young Arab Leaders Forum also took place on Day Zero of the WGS 2025. A dynamic platform dedicated to empowering the next generation of Arab innovators and professionals, this forum focused on promoting entrepreneurship, leadership, and professional growth by leveraging mentorship programs, educational initiatives, and insights from prominent Arab leaders to prepare youth for the challenges of tomorrow.
Moreover, sessions at the forum addressed topics like preparing young leaders for a new world, and the economic state of the Arab world. It examined the status of Arab leaderships in entrepreneurship, sport, arts and culture among other fields, while discussing the role of young leaders in planning and management at senior leadership positions.