Sheikh Mohammed Attends WGS 2026 Leaders Graduation

Dubai:

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, attended the graduation ceremony of the third cohort of the Future Government Leaders Programme during the World Governments Summit (WGS) 2026.

During the ceremony, Sheikh Mohammed said the UAE believes that developing the next generation of Arab government leaders is a key step to improving government performance. He highlighted the importance of proactiveness, readiness, sustainable development, and agility in dealing with fast-changing global challenges.

He said empowering young Arab administrative leaders who can create positive change in a rapidly evolving world is one of the most important responsibilities of governments. He also added that the real success of governments depends on investing in people by supporting national talent, focusing on young leaders, and giving them the skills needed to build a better future for their societies.

The graduation ceremony was also attended by Her Excellency Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Government Development and the Future, Vice Chair of the World Governments Summit, along with several senior officials.

The Future Government Leaders Programme is organised through a partnership between the UAE Government and the Arab Administrative Development Organization of the League of Arab States. The programme aims to train and prepare a selected group of young Arab government leaders with future-ready skills needed 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 included 29 young government leaders from across the Arab world. The programme delivered an integrated learning experience featuring 30 leadership sessions with government officials, dialogues with experts from future-focused sectors in Arab countries, and practical training activities.

These included future accelerators, applied challenges, virtual councils, and policy design labs. The programme also supported the development of innovative solutions in areas such as future legislation, proactive service design, agile governance, and government talent readiness.

The training focused on four main pillars:

1. Innovative government services

2. Smart legislation

3. Government talent readiness

4. Sustainable and green development

The programme followed a practical methodology that included leadership discussions with experts, strategic labs, field visits, individual executive coaching, and a visit to the UAE.

Since its launch three years ago, the Future Government Leaders Programme has graduated 100 leaders across the Arab world. It has also helped create a sustainable Arab leadership network aimed at supporting government transformation, driving positive change, and strengthening the ability of public sector institutions to turn challenges into opportunities.