Hundreds of experts on a wide range of critical topics are converging on Dubai, United Arab Emirates, this week for the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meetings of the Global Future Councils and Cybersecurity (AMGFCC).

The joint gathering between the Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils (AMGFC) and the Annual Meeting on Cybersecurity (AMC), 14-16 October, is taking place against a backdrop of jarring geopolitical shifts and advances in artificial intelligence, a hardening of multipolarity, and increased vulnerability to cyber threats and disinformation.

AMGFCC participants, which include roughly 150 cyber experts, will explore the ways in which emerging technologies like AI and quantum computing are redefining global risks and aim to develop actionable ideas that can inform decision-making everywhere.

The Network of Global Future Councils operates as a think-tank made up of 37 thematic councils identifying and disseminating transformative ideas with the potential for positive global impact. The councils focus on a wide range of topics including cybersecurity, artificial general intelligence, economic growth, and frontier technologies. One-third of GFC members come from the business world, one-third is from academia and think tanks, and the remaining third represents public figures, international organizations and civil society.

The Forum’s Centre for Cybersecurity provides an independent and impartial platform to reinforce the importance of cybersecurity as a strategic priority and drive public-private action to address challenges. It engages hundreds of business partners and dozens of public-sector partners in different initiatives.

AMGFCC will feature 19 public sessions, livestreamed across the Forum’s website and social media channels. Here are some of the key highlights.

The New Cyber Order: Cooperation Amid Turbulence: In this session, panellists explored the seismic shifts in technology, geopolitics and the global economy that have reshaped the cyber landscape.

Participants noted that cybersecurity today sits at the intersection of national security, technological innovation and requires international cooperation. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, the UAE’s Head of Cybersecurity, stressed that bolstering cyber resilience is about partnerships: “Partnership with the private sector, partnership with the government and the partnership with the multi-stakeholders.”

Meanwhile, Rachel Ellehuus, the Director-General of the Royal United Services Institute, added that “investing in security by design or resilience by design is seen as a shared responsibility.”

Opening Remarks and Opening Plenary: World Economic Forum President and CEO Børge Brende provided the opening remarks for the meetings, nodding to the major geopolitical shifts and rapid technological advancements that create an urgent need for agile, collaborative thinking.

“In this new era, dialogue is our first line of defense, and our greatest source of innovation,” Brende said.

The Opening Plenary began with World Economic Forum Managing Director Saadia Zahidi noting that an expression often being heard is that “this time really is different.” She asked panelists how that’s being interpreted in their fields.

UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications Omar bin Sultan Al Olama acknowledged the doom and gloom frequently clouding the outlook for our collective technological future, but he advocated for optimism.

“The world needs positive visions,” he said. “We’re driving forward looking through the rearview mirror, and I think we need to drive forward looking through the windshield.”

Mission Blue Foundation Creator and AMGFCC 2025 Co-Chair Sylvia Earle said that when it comes to aligning progress with planetary health, “This is the best time ever to be a human because of what we know, but we should always keep front and center the magnitude of what we don’t know.”

Economies Amid Geostrategic Shifts: This panel zeroed in on the intensifying strategic competition among major powers and shifting economic alliances that are reshaping the global order.

“We understand that the new currency in a fragmented world is trust,” said UAE Minister of the Economy Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri.

Added Juan Carlos Pinzón Bueno, a visiting professor and lecturer at Princeton University who hails from Colombia: “Countries like mine, instead of focusing on the fight, need to focus on opportunity.”

What Is the Cost of Underinvesting in Health?: Every $1 invested in health yields up to $4 in economic return, yet health systems remain chronically underfunded. From antimicrobial resistance to air pollution, aid cuts and digital health gaps, the cost of inaction is mounting.

Panellists discussed the societal and economic consequences of underinvesting in health and how to begin addressing them.

Inside the Cyber Criminal Mind: Recent anti-cybercrime breakthroughs are outsmarting criminals by going beyond technology, leveraging financial and psychological tactics to turn the tables.

In this session, Max Smeets, Co-Director of Virtual Routes, and Neal Jetton, Director of the Cybercrime Directorate at INTERPOL, explored the cyber skills and strategies that drove breakthroughs in 2025 and examined ways to further mitigate cybercrime.

“We have a tendency to share stories when these cybercriminals were successful,” Smeets said. “It’s equally important to share the stories where you had cases of prevention and also where cybercriminals failed.”

AI’s Scaling Dilemma: As AI systems grow in scale and complexity, the infrastructure supporting them must evolve to balance performance with energy efficiency and sustainability.

How can we build AI infrastructure that scales innovation and shrinks environmental impact, paving the way to a resilient, net-positive energy future?

Avoiding a Two-Speed Energy Transition: From AI-driven grid optimization to advanced energy storage, innovation is reshaping the energy transition landscape – but uneven adoption risks creating a two-speed transition. What strategies can better align innovation with real energy transition needs?

Riding Out Cyber Storms: Some 71% of respondents to the World Economic Forum’s Global Cybersecurity Outlook report an increase in cyber risks driven by geopolitical tensions, supply chain complexity, rapid AI deployment and other factors.

Which emerging trends will redefine the future of cybersecurity in 2026 and how can global leaders harness these insights to align priorities and drive coordinated action?

What Will Drive Future Growth and What Will Not: With global growth projected to hover around a sluggish 3.2% over the next five years, many are putting their faith in technology and science as potential drivers of a future economic upturn.

Which innovations, policies and business models will make a meaningful impact and which are less likely to move the needle?

What Space Can Teach Us: The world faces a series of interlinked and complex challenges – from geoeconomic instability to industry disruptions. But what if some of the solutions were hundreds of kilometres above us?

Join this session with space leaders to learn about the latest plans for space exploration and discuss how some of the most exciting developments – from space research to latest technologies – can help us tackle challenges on Earth.

Thursday 16 October

Top 10 Emerging Technologies for the Planet: Climate disasters are disrupting industries from agriculture to finance, exposing deep vulnerabilities in supply chains, infrastructure and communities worldwide.

From precision fermentation to green concrete, what are the most promising emerging technologies that can strengthen planetary resilience when climate risks know no boundaries?

Taming Trade: Trade reforms and tariff uncertainty have heightened security concerns, making it increasingly challenging to protect critical industries and technologies while striving to maintain open markets.

How can global collaboration be strengthened to address emerging threats and safeguard the integrity of the international trading system?

Liberating Food: Food innovation is transforming how we grow and consume – but technology alone can’t overcome the barriers that shape food access and equity.

From drought-resistant crops and new ingredients to AI-driven farming, which innovations can break through political and economic divides to create a more just and resilient food future?

Neurotechnology: Striking the Right Balance: Neurotechnology holds immense promise – not just in treating neurological conditions but in enhancing well-being, cognitive liberty and self-determination. At the same time, it raises profound ethical and societal questions.

How do we ensure these technologies develop in ways that are safe, equitable and aligned with human flourishing?

Regulation: Friend or Foe?: Emerging technologies like AI, quantum computing and synthetic biology are advancing faster than regulations can keep up. As these innovations reshape economies and societies, regulators face mounting pressure to keep pace, manage complex risks and enable innovation at the same time.

What strategies can help governments stay ahead of rapid change and make regulatory systems more agile, adaptive and forward-looking?

Closing Plenary: Join this closing plenary to explore the most promising approaches to building intelligent economies and societies as the Annual Meetings of the Global Future Councils and Cybersecurity draw to a close.

A broader jobs impact: The impact of artificial intelligence on knowledge workers has dominated the news, but transformative technologies will ultimately exert a much broader influence on the global workforce. The new report, Jobs of Tomorrow: Technology and the Future of the World’s Largest Workforces, explores how AI, robotics, energy and network technologies are reshaping seven major job families including agriculture and healthcare, which employ a combined 80% of the world’s workers.

Cybercrime Atlas: In a world where cyber defenders often work in isolation, the Cybercrime Atlas gives experts and organizations a platform to multiply the impact of their individual efforts. Learn more in the Cybercrime Atlas: Impact Report 2025.

https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/10/annual-meetings-amc-amgfcc-cyber-dubai-2025/?fbclid=IwY2xjawNcf05leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETE1cVo3ckhFUmpxMEhsc0tNAR6IE_11WxG_jLrVDYE4XpWlocQleRhhchw84uzFrIyEowscS_7bLIb1tSrUPg_aem_SZ97fQRRLB42ZvTUp3bE_w