Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) has unveiled the 50 most promising opportunities under 10 global megatrends across five categories, including health, collaboration, nature, societies and global transformations.

The Global 50 report, released during the World Government Summit 2023, shares the foundation’s view of the future and 50 opportunities for growth, prosperity and well-being of governments, societies and individuals .

Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Chairman of the World Government Summit, Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Managing Director of the Dubai Future Foundation, said that the UAE believes in the ability of societies to design the future and harness its opportunities.

Dubai is working to build the future by continuing to prepare for challenges and opportunities, as well as understanding the major trends that will shape the future, he added.

“The primary task of governments today is to anticipate the occurrence of major transformations, to anticipate the opportunities they bring, and to reduce the risks associated with them. In order to live the future that we want to see, we must be prepared to tackle its challenges and start shaping it today,” Al Gergawi stated.

The Global 50 report was prepared in cooperation with 30 international experts and several of DFF’s partners from the government entities, private and academic sectors. 

More than 40 vital sectors will witness drastic changes, including agriculture, space, medicine, aviation, cybersecurity, energy and investment.

The report provides inspirations and insights across five categories:

Health Reimagined 

The section explores using gene therapies and advanced nutritional approaches to boost health. It delves into the possibility of regenerating critical tissues throughout life and bioengineering in developing treatments for diseases.

Enhanced Collaboration 

The report addresses many future opportunities in the field of human and technological collaboration, such as the ability of artificial intelligence to innovate and generate new business ideas and explores developing space legislation.

Nature Restored 

Nature and sustainability are key themes. The report examines phasing out excessive land use to restore biodiversity, adapting wheels and tires to reduce pollution and the possibility of developing a responsive centennial plan for the planet.  

Societies Empowered

It explores employing advanced connectivity to enable better collaboration and exchanges. Other future opportunities include the possibility of developing a global voting system to enable whole-planet decision-making, the possibility of advanced machine intelligence to help policy-makers design policies, etc. 

Transformational Opportunities

The report examines several opportunities in future innovations, including the possibility of generating solar energy in space, the development of Web 3.0 legislation, new tools for detecting fraud, and using artificial intelligence to deliver orders.  

10 megatrends

According to the report, megatrends are research-led thematic paths expected to significantly impact economies and societies globally. 

The 10 global megatrends include increased research activity and funding in the area of materials science, data becoming more available, cybersecurity, the growing need for energy-driving exploration and innovation, and environmental impact management increasingly moving towards the management of ecosystems.

Other megatrends are the emergence of a borderless world, the acceleration of the transition to new digital realities, human relationships with robots, a shift in people’s understanding and expectations of self-realization due to advanced technology, and the increased interest in nutrition and improving health.

(Editing by Seban Scaria seban.scaria@lseg.com )