DUBAI (ALETIHAD)
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, attended the graduation ceremony of the third cohort of the Future Government Leaders Programme, held at the World Governments Summit (WGS) 2026.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum affirmed that the UAE believes that developing the capabilities of the next generation of Arab government leaders represents a fundamental pillar for advancing government performance based on proactiveness, readiness, sustainable development, and agility in addressing rapidly evolving global challenges.
His Highness said: “In the UAE, we believe that empowering young Arab administrative leaders capable of driving positive change in a fast evolving world is the foremost duty of governments striving to keep pace with emerging global trends and actively participate in designing the future.”
He further said: “The true success of governments lies in their efforts to invest in people by empowering national talent, prioritising the development of young leaders, and equipping them with the skills needed to shape a better future for their societies.”
The graduation ceremony was attended by Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Government Development and the Future and Vice Chair of the World Governments Summit, and a number of senior officials.
The Programme, organised in partnership between the UAE Government and the Arab Administrative Development Organization of the League of Arab States, aims to prepare and equip an elite group of young Arab government leaders with future-readiness skills necessary for tomorrow’s governments.
It was implemented in collaboration with the Government Experience Exchange Programme (GEEP) and the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG).
The third cohort of the Future Government Leaders Programme featured 29 young government leaders from across the Arab world.
It offered an integrated learning experience featuring 30 leadership sessions with government officials, dialogues with experts in future-focused sectors from Arab countries, future accelerators, applied challenges, virtual councils and policy design labs, creating an enabling environment for developing innovative solutions in areas such as future legislation, proactive service design, agile governance and government talent readiness.
The Programme focused on four pillars: innovative government services, smart legislation, government talent readiness, and sustainable and green development. It adopted a practical training methodology that included expert discussions on leadership, dialogues and strategic labs, field visits, individual executive coaching, and a visit to the UAE.
Since its launch three years ago, the Future Government Leaders Programme in the Arab world has graduated 100 leaders, contributing to the establishment of a sustainable Arab leadership network that supports government transformation, drives positive change, and enhances the ability of public sector institutions to convert challenges into opportunities and achieve lasting impact.