Dubai, February 3, 2026 — The World Governments Summit (WGS) 2026 opened its preliminary day in Dubai on Tuesday, bringing together global leaders and policymakers ahead of the main summit running from February 3 to 5 under the theme “Shaping Future Governments.”
The opening day set the tone for the summit with a series of focused forums, ministerial meetings, and strategic roundtables attended by heads of state and government, senior officials, leaders of international organisations, futurists, and subject-matter experts. Discussions centred on key economic, social, and technological challenges influencing governance worldwide.
Among the major events was the Annual Arab Fiscal Forum, which addressed regional financial sustainability, and the Young Arab Leaders Forum, aimed at empowering emerging leaders across the Arab world. Economic cooperation featured prominently through the UAE–Kuwait Economic Forum, while the High-Level Investment Forum explored opportunities to strengthen partnerships with Latin America and the Caribbean.
Several closed-door ministerial meetings were also held, focusing on both regional and global issues. These included a roundtable of Arab youth ministers, a meeting of GCC labour ministers, and the Accelerating 5X AI Transformation Dialogue, which examined the growing role of artificial intelligence in government reform. A CEO Dialogue further brought together public and private sector leaders to discuss innovation and collaboration.
The preliminary day highlighted the World Governments Summit’s role as a global platform for policy coordination, cross-border cooperation, and forward-looking governance, as the main summit sessions get underway in Dubai.
Source: Emirates News Agency
