DUBAI, 16th October, 2025 (WAM) -- The Closing Plenary of the Annual Meetings of the Global Future Councils and Cybersecurity 2025 - organised by the UAE Government and the World Economic Forum (WEF) from 14-16 October in Dubai - explored promising approaches to building intelligent economies and societies.

Sarah bint Yousif Al Amiri, UAE Minister of Education, highlighted the need to build an optimistic, resilient generation prepared for an unpredictable future. Education must go beyond knowledge delivery to nurture adaptability, ethics, and collaboration, she explained, noting that by cultivating critical skills, values, and optimism, students can face future challenges, create meaningful impact, and contribute to a more stable, inspired, and cooperative world.

"Opportunities are not merely found; they are created and seized," Al Amiri added. "The goal is to mould a generation that remains optimistic about the future, resilient in the face of challenges, and equipped with the skills to turn those challenges into opportunities."

"AI as a tool will continue to evolve," she went on to explain. "While curricula are expected to remain consistent, we believe they must adapt with time, which is why we have integrated AI education from an early age."

For his part, Dario Leandro Genua, Secretary of Innovation, Science and Technology of Argentina, spoke to the audience about his highly optimistic approach to the future.

"I take a highly optimistic view of cybersecurity and believe that, ultimately, we will prevail," he said, noting, however, that it is essential to remain aware of the technologies we use every day. "Many of us are uncertain whether our phones listen to or monitor our conversations. Today, technology has become so integral to our lives that even an hour without it would bring the world to a standstill, underscoring just how vital it is to modern existence."

The discussion continued with Andrea Meza Murillo, Deputy Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), who stressed that today's multiple crises including climate, biodiversity loss, land degradation, poverty, and conflict require deep integrated, nature-based solutions.

"Building resilient economies depends on healthy ecosystems: oceans, soils, and water. Nature underpins stability and prosperity, while technology can accelerate sustainable transitions," Murillo remarked. "However, technological progress also relies on natural resources, making balanced, efficient use of landscapes essential for a safer, more stable, and prosperous world."

Meanwhile, Penny Low, Founder of Social Innovation Park, urged collaboration between three important P's: People, Public, and Private sector. "While AI creates opportunities, it also risks inequality," she said, calling for inclusive policies, redefining growth to include wellbeing and nature, and promoting "awakened intelligence" as the next frontier of innovation.

On the same topic, Daniela Rus, Director of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), highlights that while digital and AI transformations connect the world, they also amplify risk, especially as AI moves into the physical realm, making systems like cars vulnerable. "However, technology can also be part of the solution through innovation, education, and global coordination," she noted.

The expert panellists emphasised the seven P's: Protection, Proficiency, Personalisation, Perception, Provenance, Participation, and Payments. They called for using new tools like homomorphic encryption, while fostering trust, awareness, and inclusivity in cybersecurity.

Delivering the closing remarks, Maroun Kairouz, Managing Director of the World Economic Forum, said, "As global challenges continue to grow, the open exchange of ideas and approaches is more crucial than ever and allows for strengthening cooperation. The Annual Meetings of the Global Future Councils and Cybersecurity 2025 in Dubai, which brought together over 500 experts and 150 leading cybersecurity leaders, addressed trade, innovation, climate, and more, setting the stage for WEF Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos."