His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, attended a keynote session delivered by His Highness Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, on the final day of the World Governments Summit 2026 in Dubai.
His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai; and His Excellency Saqr Ghobash, Speaker of the Federal National Council, also attended the session.
The session, titled ‘Unbreakable Fortress,’ explored the foundations of national resilience and the UAE’s comprehensive development model, aligning with the summit’s theme, ‘Shaping Future Governments.’
His Highness Sheikh Saif emphasised that the true strength of nations lies in their people rather than infrastructure, stressing that the UAE’s power is measured by the awareness of its leadership and the unity of its society. He highlighted the unique reciprocal relationship between the UAE government and its citizens, describing it as a rare historical model where people safeguard the nation while the nation protects its people.
The session was attended by His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE National Olympic Committee; Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority; His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum; His Excellency Mohammad Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the World Government Summit, and a number of ministers and senior officials.
His Highness Sheikh Saif said: “Under the vision of UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the country has transformed from a resource-based economy into a system-driven nation built on diversified energy resources, sovereign supply chains, and a non-oil economy that surpassed $1 trillion five years ahead of schedule.”
Inspired leadership
Sheikh Saif added that the strength of the ‘national fortress’ is based on leadership and societal cohesion rather than physical structures, praising the UAE’s founding fathers for establishing a resilient national model carried forward and advanced by subsequent generations of leaders.
During the session, His Highness highlighted the role of industry in shaping national reputation, citing global examples such as Switzerland, Germany and China. “China overcame historic challenges, including the so-called ‘century of humiliation,’ and through reform, technological progress, and economic openness, has grown to account for nearly one-third of global manufacturing output.”
Strategic vision
His Highness stated that the UAE has built a strong global reputation, guided by the leadership’s strategic vision, and noted that the country now leads in 264 global competitiveness indicators. He added that the UAE ranks first globally in green hydrogen competitiveness, fourth in concentrated solar power, and 13th in nuclear energy production.
His Highness outlined major achievements in industry and supply chains, stating that the UAE manages more than 460 ports and operational units across over 70 countries, operated by local workforces under an empowerment-driven model.
He also highlighted the UAE’s contribution to global aviation and aluminium production, which accounts for about 4 per cent of worldwide output, as well as space achievements including the MBZ-SAR, with 90 per cent of its mechanical structure and most technical components manufactured locally.
The UAE’s non-oil foreign trade grew by 26 per cent in one year to exceed $1 trillion, with exports reaching more than 180 countries, His Highness noted. He emphasised that artificial intelligence is a strategic industry for the country, noting that successful AI ecosystems depend on six key elements: energy, infrastructure, semiconductor chips, models, applications, and trust. “The UAE has moved beyond AI adoption to AI industrialisation through an integrated ecosystem powered by clean energy, advanced chips, infrastructure and applications, placing the country at the forefront of global AI adoption rankings.”
Public trust in institutions
His Highness underscored that trust remains the cornerstone of both AI development and national security. He noted that the UAE ranks among the world’s top five countries in the Global Trust Index of Edelman Trust Barometer and holds first place globally in public trust in government institutions.
His Highness said that 9,800 millionaires relocated to the UAE within a year, an average of 26 millionaires per day, bringing the total number of millionaires in the country to more than 240,000, with combined wealth of over $780 billion. He attributed this influx to the country’s political stability, security and investment environment.
The session also showcased the UAE’s global humanitarian and peace-building efforts in more than 30 countries.
Sheikh Saif said that UAE’s relief supplies to Gaza accounted for 46 per cent of total global aid, amounting to $3 billion. He also highlighted the medical treatment provided for more than 78,000 patients and the establishment of six desalination plants producing two million gallons of water daily.
His Highness praised Kuwait’s historic role in supporting the development of the UAE’s educational sector, thanking the Kuwaiti leadership and people.
He stressed on the importance of family as the cornerstone of national identity, saying the UAE’s ‘Year of Family 2026’ reflects the country’s commitment to strengthening social cohesion through more than 21 supporting institutions.
AI-enabled industrial ecosystem
A technical presentation showcased the UAE’s AI industrial ecosystem development, tracing its evolution from early renewable energy investments, such as Masdar in 2006 to the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, which now operates four reactors generating six gigawatts of clean energy. The presentation also highlighted the Stargate project, a five-gigawatt AI campus described as the largest of its kind outside the United States, with expected quarterly expansion capacity ranging between 200 and 500 megawatts.
The presentation also underscored the importance of advanced semiconductor chips in operating data centres and large language models, noting the development of national AI models in collaboration with global research institutions and technology companies. These efforts will enable the UAE to produce up to 100 trillion AI computing units daily in the future, His Highness Sheikh Saif highlighted.
