GEC NEWS WIREYesterday, Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), officially opened the ‘Dubai Future Solutions – Prototypes for Humanity’ initiative. This transformative programme, approved by 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 Board of Trustees of the Dubai Future Foundation, reflects the emirate’s commitment to excellence, creativity, and innovation in the service of humanity.
The initiative, held in partnership with the Dubai Future Foundation, seeks to drive positive societal change by leveraging innovative projects initiated by enterprising university students and distinguished academics to address complex global challenges. Bringing together one of the most diverse assemblies of academic talent and innovation, the initiative will witness participation from elite professors and university students from leading institutions worldwide, who presented the top 100 projects offering practical solutions to critical challenges facing our planet and societies. The event is taking place on the sidelines of the 2024 Dubai Future Forum at the Museum of the Future on 19 and 20 November, bringing together over 2,500 experts and 100 international institutions specialising in future foresight and design.
Her Highness Sheikha Latifa expressed her pride in the groundbreaking achievements and creative solutions for global challenges that came about courtesy of the ‘Prototypes for Humanity’ initiative over the past decade. She highlighted that expanding the initiative, an Art Dubai Group enterprise, through ‘Dubai Future Solutions – Prototypes for Humanity,’ further strengthens its contribution to nurturing innovation and serving societies.
Empowering forum
Her Highness said: “Today, we celebrate a decade of innovation – a journey defined by continuing efforts to advance scientific research, mobilise visionary ideas, and transform them into impactful, pioneering solutions to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges. This initiative reflects our dedication to shaping the future, providing a global platform for creators and innovators to drive meaningful change. It also inspires the development and acceleration of transformative technologies, supports entrepreneurship, empowers individuals, and harnesses talent to serve humanity, all while contributing to the overarching goals of comprehensive and sustainable development.”
Her Highness added: “I am proud to witness generations of young innovators from international universities and institutions across academic, cultural, technological, and creative fields who have harnessed knowledge to develop innovative solutions aimed at serving humanity, and we hope to support their growth from Dubai.”
The initiative attracted 2,700 applications from over 800 universities worldwide. During the event, the top five exceptional innovators will be announced and honoured with awards totalling AED 360,000, enabling them to further advance their research in vital fields.
Exhibition celebrates pioneers
Sheikha Latifa inaugurated the ‘Dubai Future Solutions – Prototypes for Humanity’ 2024 exhibition, which showcases cutting-edge innovations and breakthrough projects in key domains such as healthcare, energy, society, nature, and data science. These creative projects lay the foundation for a robust infrastructure that supports Dubai’s status as a global hub for innovation and future opportunities.
Her Highness also hosted a meeting, bringing together government officials, decision-makers and experts, including His Excellency Saeed Al Tayer – Managing Director and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority; His Excellency Dawood Al Hajri – Director General of Dubai Municipality; His Excellency Awad Saqr Al Ketbi – Director General of the Dubai Health Authority; His Excellency Dr. Amer Sharif – CEO of Dubai Health and President of Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences; Her Excellency Hala Badri – Director General of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority; His Excellency Khalfan Belhoul – CEO of Dubai Future Foundation; as well as investors, entrepreneurs, and pioneers who advanced groundbreaking concepts. The discussions focused on adopting and transforming these creative solutions into successful, impactful projects.
