DUBAI (WAM)

President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, inaugurated the World Laureates Summit, the largest global gathering of Nobel Prize winners and recipients of other prestigious scientific awards.

Also present at the inauguration were His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, and His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence.

The World Laureates Summit, which commenced today and runs for three days, brings together more than 100 scientists and participants, including Nobel laureates, recipients of major international scientific awards, and leaders of research institutions.

It coincides with the World Governments Summit 2026, taking place from February 3-5, with February 3 designated as a joint day that brings laureates together with heads of state and government, ministers, and leaders of international organisations and institutions participating in the World Governments Summit.

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During the summit, Their Highnesses were briefed on key discussions involving a distinguished group of Nobel laureates and researchers from various vital disciplines, affirming the summit’s role as an international scientific platform for dialogue focused on long-term strategic thinking and multidisciplinary cooperation.

The summit supports the role of basic sciences in addressing global challenges at a time of mounting economic, social, and political pressures and an urgent need for innovative solutions to sustain development efforts and ensure the continuity of humanity’s civilisational progress.

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan highlighted that scientists are essential partners in shaping the future and that investing in knowledge and scientific research is the key to navigating global challenges. His Highness stated that the UAE will remain a global platform that brings visionaries and thinkers together and supports innovation in service of all of humanity.

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed continued by stating that science and scientists are at the core of the UAE’s vision for the future, extending from the belief that countries that make knowledge a national priority are the ones capable of leading global transformations and shaping a better tomorrow.

His Highness added that the World Laureates Summit reflects the UAE’s efforts and unwavering commitment to building a comprehensive scientific ecosystem that enhances quality of life and lays the foundations for sustainable prosperity rooted in solid scientific principles.

His Highness remarked that the world today faces major challenges that require unconventional solutions, underscoring the importance of this major scientific gathering. His Highness stated that the responsibility of scientists today extends beyond the confines of research centres, as they must become active partners in decision-making and in shaping development-focused policies.

His Highness expressed his hope that this scientific dialogue would contribute creative solutions to global challenges, ensuring the sustainability of resources for future generations. He added that the UAE will continue to strengthen its role as a bridge connecting scientific outputs with the needs of societies while supporting scientific research and the development of emerging technologies in service of peace and development.

Science is the Wealth of Nations

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum affirmed that the UAE has been, and will continue to be, a nexus for visionaries and bold ideas.

“Convening 100 scientists and Nobel Prize laureates in the World Laureates Summit is our way of saying: Civilisation happens when we appreciate science and scientists. Our goal is to open the doors wide for innovators so they can turn the impossible into tangible reality.”

His Highness added: “Science is the true wealth of nations, and scientists are the architects of humanity’s future. The UAE embraces bright minds, empowers researchers and offers the space to turn ideas into accomplishments.

His Highness stated: “People are our greatest asset. Through science, we can forge a better future for all. The UAE continues to establish itself as a global hub for science and knowledge and a magnet for talent and creative minds from around the world, driven by our belief that investing in people is key to achieving sustainable development and shaping the future.”

Investing in Knowledge and Science

His Excellency Mohammad Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the World Governments Summit, said in his opening remarks at the World Laureates Summit that the vision of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has made the UAE an incubator for intellect and a meeting point for global thought leaders, praising His Highness’ continued support for science and scientists.

His Excellency Al Gergawi said the UAE believes that building a nation cannot be achieved by relying solely on resources, but also on people, and that the greatest investment in the future is an investment in knowledge and science.

His Excellency noted that a nation that prioritises science and believes strongly in knowledge as the shortest path to prosperity and in research and openness as integral to its foundations is a strong nation capable of achieving and sustaining excellence.

His Excellency added that humanity’s journey of knowledge is undergoing a fundamental transformation. The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence and the aspiration for longer, healthier lives require new scientific approaches.

He pointed out that conventional boundaries separating physicists, computer scientists, and biologists are beginning to dissolve, stressing that, where such boundaries continue to exist, society must overcome and redefine them.

His Excellency Al Gergawi affirmed that the World Laureates Summit draws its value and historical significance from being held at a pivotal time marked by political shifts, rapid technological acceleration, and unprecedented economic pressures amid growing concern about humanity’s future. In such moments, he said, the role of scientists is not secondary, but critical.

His Excellency concluded: “Our gathering today sends a message of hope to humanity: Despite the negative noise filling the world, human beings are still capable of choosing the path of reason and of working to improve this world.

This is where the spirit of the UAE echoes the spirit of this scientific gathering, as neither sees the past as a ceiling or finish line but the future as a responsibility. Both believe that hope is not awaited but created, and that progress does not happen by chance, but as the result of collective action, clear vision, and faith in human potential.”

His Excellency Al Gergawi thanked the attending scientists, whose presence makes them part of a future that is more humane, just, and knowledgeable. He concluded: “Your being in the UAE today, in the presence of our leadership, will help shape a better future for humans and a healthier, more advanced planet.”

New WLA base in the UAE

Professor Roger Kornberg, President of the World Laureates Association (WLA), Nobel Laureate in Chemistry (2006) and Professor of Medicine, Stanford University, revealed WLA plans to launch a new base in the UAE, bringing together scientists from around the world and positioning the UAE as a global hub for scientific collaboration, research, and innovation.

Prof Kornberg stated: “The UAE is not following the future of science—it is setting its direction.”

Delivering the opening remarks for the World Laureates Summit, Kornberg described the event as a remarkable and unprecedented gathering in its scope, diversity and breadth.

Kornberg said: “This joint summit is also unprecedented in another way: it places science alongside government, industry, and finance. Scientists rarely have the opportunity to engage directly with policymakers at this level and on this scale. Here, we create a space where discovery and decision-making meet.”

Kornberg added: “In organising this summit, our goal was not only to explain science, but to address questions of broad societal importance. This is reflected in the sessions you will see over the coming days: Can AI actually discover anything? Can science save the Earth? Are we approaching the end of disease? These questions help ensure that science is not only understood but heard far beyond these halls.”

He added: “This is where the partnership with the World Governments Summit is so important. By convening the world’s leaders, the WGS ensures that the voice of science reaches decision-makers at the highest level.”

Knowledge as a driver of progress

Wang Hou, Executive Director and Secretary-General of the World Laureates Association, stated that the UAE’s deep appreciation for science and of its people’s belief in knowledge as a driver of progress are the reasons that helped the World Laureates Summit convene with great success.

He expressed his sincere thanks to members of the World Laureates Association for joining the summit, noting that their work has shaped human understanding of the world and continues to advance humanity in profound and lasting ways.

Hou stressed that the world stands at a pivotal moment that demands joint efforts for the future of humanity and the advancement of modern science. He highlighted the UAE’s hosting of the World Laureates Summit as a major step on this path, stating: “From the UAE, the future of science is not observed—it is shaped. Here, knowledge leads policy, and discovery is translated into global progress.”

The World Laureates Summit, organised in partnership between the World Governments Summit and the World Laureates Association, is the largest scientific gathering of its kind.

It brings together an elite group of laureates who are recipients of the Nobel Prize, Turing Award, the Wolf Prize, the Lasker Award, the Fields Medal, and the Breakthrough Prize, alongside other recipients of prestigious international scientific awards.

The World Laureates Association comprises 187 leading scientists, including 78 Nobel laureates, as well as recipients of the prestigious scientific honours.

The summit’s agenda features a high-level programme centred on the theme “Basic Sciences: Scientific Consensus for Addressing the Challenges of Humanity” and includes keynote addresses, plenary sessions, specialised forums, strategic roundtables, and extended dialogues spanning a wide range of fields - most notably artificial intelligence and machine learning, quantum science and nanotechnology, biotechnology and genomics, data science and cryptography, and neurotechnology.

Discussions focus on how fundamental sciences contribute to governance and economic systems, how emerging technologies can be developed responsibly, and how international scientific cooperation can be strengthened in an increasingly complex geopolitical environment.

The first day’s agenda, in addition to the opening ceremony, included the AI Sciences Forum, the forum titled “AI Science Forum: Can AI Discover Anything?” and the Disruptive Technologies Forum, the New Energy Forum, and the Scientific Discovery Forum.

The second day’s agenda includes nine forums: “Six Senses and The Brain Forum”, “Genetic Science Forum”, “Life Sciences Forum”, “Physics Forum”, “Hospital Leaders Forum”, “Blockchain Science Forum”, “Carbon Materials Forum”, “Nuclear Physics Forum”, and “University Leaders Forum”.

The third day features the Young Scientists Forum, as well as joint sessions between the World Governments Summit and the World Laureates Summit.