Overview
- The Portulans Institute’s 2025 Networked Readiness Index launched at the summit placed the UAE first regionally and 26th globally, highlighting top-tier mobile coverage and school internet access, with privacy regulation flagged as a key area to strengthen.
- DIFC reported a standout 2025 with active registered firms up 28% to more than 8,844 and net profit up 28%, including 1,677 fintech and AI companies, as Dubai advances a AED 100 billion expansion plan.
- In a high-profile AI session, Joseph Tsai and Chamath Palihapitiya argued the field is a durable productivity shift, not a fleeting bubble, underscoring rising capital outlays, the open- vs closed‑model divide, and the central role of governments.
- UAE leaders held a series of bilateral meetings and engagements, and President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed presented Paraguay’s president with the Global Award for the Most Developed Governments.
- The UAE detailed service reforms toward ‘zero bureaucracy’ with over 10,000 public volunteers evaluating government services, while senior officials also explored autonomous mobility collaboration in talks with Waymo’s chief executive.