World Governments Summit 2026 to gather over 45 leaders in Dubai

The World Governments Summit Organization has revealed the agenda for the World Governments Summit 2026, scheduled to run from Feb. 3 to Feb. 5 under the theme “Shaping Future Governments,” according to the state-run WAM news agency.

The agenda aligns with major global shifts and rapid developments across key sectors, offering a forward-looking vision that addresses global challenges and opportunities while outlining the role of governments in community development worldwide.

The summit is expected to convene more than 6,250 decision-makers and thinkers to formulate shared strategies aimed at strengthening governance and international cooperation.

Organizers said discussions and panels will focus on identifying practical and effective solutions to mounting global challenges, while diagnosing current global and regional conditions and developing new approaches to governance.

The 2026 edition will mark the largest leadership participation in the summit’s history, bringing together more than 45 heads of state and government, over 15 deputy heads of state, more than 500 ministers and representatives from over 150 governments.

Total attendance is expected to exceed 6,250 participants, including prominent global thought leaders and experts.

The agenda includes more than 445 sessions and over 450 global speakers, alongside more than 700 CEOs of major corporations and 87 laureates of prestigious international scientific awards, including Nobel Prize winners.

More than 80 international and regional organizations, as well as global and academic institutions, will also take part.

Organizers expect extensive media coverage, with more than 840 journalists and 44 media partners attending the summit.

This year’s expanded program includes 25 global forums and more than 45 ministerial and high-level meetings.

Five key themes will anchor the agenda: global governance and effective leadership; societal wellbeing and capacity building; economic prosperity and strategic investments; urban futures and evolving demographics; and future realities and emerging frontiers.

In addition to forums and meetings, the summit will issue 36 strategic reports in collaboration with international knowledge partners and will launch the third edition of the Global Ministers Survey.

Honors to be presented include the Best Minister Award, in partnership with PwC; the Most Reformed Government Global Award, in collaboration with EY; the Dubai International Best Practices Award for Sustainable Development, held with UN-Habitat and Dubai Municipality; and the Global Teacher Prize, in partnership with the Varkey Foundation.

Mohammad Al Gergawi, UAE minister of cabinet affairs and chairman of the World Governments Summit Organization, said the record participation reflects the summit’s growing global importance.

He said the summit serves as a platform for fostering readiness, proactivity and international cooperation in line with the UAE leadership’s vision.

“The world is currently witnessing a comprehensive restructuring of traditional systems,” Al Gergawi said, adding that governments must anticipate and act rather than respond reactively to global changes.

Day 0 of the summit will begin on Monday, Feb. 2, featuring the UAE-Kuwait Economic Forum, the Arab Fiscal Forum, the High-Level Investment Forum for Latin America and the Caribbean, the Young Arab Leaders Forum and sessions under the World Laureates Summit.

Several ministerial and high-level meetings on labor, youth and artificial intelligence will also take place.

Prominent speakers on Day 0 include UAE Minister of State for Financial Affairs Mohamed Al Hussaini, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, Arab Monetary Fund Director General Fahad Al Turki, Ecuador President Daniel Noboa and Bermuda Premier Edward David Burt.

Day 1 will feature keynote sessions and addresses by leaders including Swiss President Guy Parmelin, Estonia President Alar Karis, Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani, Ethiopia President Taye Atske Selassie, Lebanon Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Spain Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.

Additional speakers include Georgia Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit and former UK Prime Minister Liz Truss.

Day 2 will include main addresses by Kuwait Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmed Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, North Macedonia President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova and New Development Bank President Dilma Rousseff.

The summit will conclude on Day 3 with keynote sessions by Mauritania Prime Minister Mokhtar Ould Djay and UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan.