Knowledge… Present and Future

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation (MBRF), the Foundation will organize its third annual Knowledge Summit 2016 from December 5 to 7, 2016, at the Grand Hyatt Dubai under the slogan ‘Knowledge ... Present and Future.’

The Knowledge Summit 2016 is a platform that brings together experts and pioneers in the field of knowledge to discuss pressing issues in this area, and also to propose solutions to face the challenges. They will shed light on the latest developments and methodologies in gaining knowledge and its dissemination in the Arab region.

The Knowledge Summit 2016 will witness the announcement of the “Reading Index” results in collaboration with United Nations Development Program (UNDP), revealing it as an effective tool that tracks knowledge-related initiatives and measures their impact on communities in the Arab region.

The 2016 Summit will feature the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Award, which honours individuals and institutions who have made notable contributions to the dissemination and production of knowledge around the world. A spectrum of events and workshops will also be organised on the side-lines of the summit – most important of which will be the University Fair (is this happening) and a group of specialised workshops.

The "Knowledge Summit 2016" will review developments in the Arab Knowledge Index, which tracks the reality of knowledge in the Arab world, taking into account the specificities of the region, and embodies practical tools to measure knowledge, and provide decision-makers, experts and researchers with accurate information to help implement their plans for development.

Throughout its sessions, the Summit will examine in details the concept of future foresight, its importance and the methodologies and tools used in this field. Such topics will be discussed by an elite line up of ministers, decision-makers, academics and specialists from all over the world. The Summit will also highlight successes stories in the field of future foresight, focusing in particular on Dubai’s unique experience in this sector, and on the initiatives Dubai adopts in this regard. The Summit will also discuss the future of certain sectors which are considered vital to the development of countries, such as reading which forms the core of the knowledge industry; besides other sectors including medicine, technology, media and education.