DUBAI, 18th November, 2025 (WAM) -- Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, and Deputy Managing Director of the Dubai Future Foundation, emphasised that the UAE believes future achievements are driven by a clear, forward-thinking strategy and sees global shifts not as challenges, but as opportunities to reinforce its role as a global hub for digital transformation, and pioneering development models that inspire the world.

This came during a session in which Al Olama participated alongside Michael Miebach, CEO of Mastercard, as part of the first day of the Dubai Future Forum 2025, the world's largest gathering of futurists, experts, and global future-design institutions from around 100 countries, and the leading platform for exploring future opportunities across various fields, with the participation of 2,500 experts and specialists in future design from around the world.

Al Olama noted that progress happens in places that embrace the future with optimism, a principle that defines the vision of both the UAE and Dubai. He also highlighted that the UAE has shifted from asking conventional questions to adopting a bold, ambitious mindset centred around one question: "Why not?"

He stressed that this shift in thinking reflects the pioneering spirit adopted by the UAE in shaping its future, and its commitment to leveraging advanced technologies to create new opportunities that enhance its global competitiveness, solidifying the country's position as a global model in anticipating and shaping the future.

This transformation in mindset, he added, reflects the UAE's leadership in shaping its own future and harnessing advanced technologies to create new opportunities that strengthen its global competitiveness, solidifying the country's position as a leading model in future foresight.

The CEO of Mastercard noted that Dubai today witnessed the world's first payment transaction using an agentic AI payment system outside the United States. The solution was launched by Mastercard in partnership with Majid Al Futtaim ahead of the Dubai Future Forum 2025.

During the session, Miebach discussed agentic commerce driven by agentic AI, noting that it represents a new model of online shopping in which an AI agent manages the entire shopping journey on behalf of the user, from recommending products to completing the purchase, through analyzing personal preferences and purchase history to simplify and streamline transactions.

Reflecting on a decade spent in the UAE, Miebach said the country's fast-moving ecosystem has enabled Mastercard to take bold decisions, stay aligned with rapid global shifts, and design solutions that simplify transactions worldwide. He praised the UAE's progressive approach in empowering society to test, adopt, and innovate with AI technologies.

He also called for the continued development of future skills, commitment to lifelong learning, and effective use of future-design tools across sectors, especially in payment solutions and fintech. Miebach stressed the importance of linking AI with safety and user trust to ensure optimal use within secure frameworks, noting that the UAE maintains an exceptional balance and regulatory environment for technology.

The Dubai Future Forum is being held in its fourth edition under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Dubai Future Foundation. The forum is the largest global gathering of futurists and future designers, organised by the Dubai Future Foundation. Its activities continue on 18th and 19th November, featuring more than 200 speakers participating in over 70 main and interactive sessions across five key themes: Deep Dive into the Future, Exploring the Unknown, The Future of Societies, The Future of Health, and The Future of Systems.