Dubai, UAE – 15 October 2026: The Annual Meeting of Global Future Leaders 2026 staged "Unknown Tomorrow", a series of foresight simulations that placed participants inside unfolding crises and tested how they responded when a second shock compounded the first. The sessions explored how shocks cascade into one another, and how leaders could act quickly and decisively before individual disruptions escalate into wider crises.

The scenarios spanned planetary, geopolitical and technological shocks, from a global water emergency to a lunar war. Participants examined responses across four levels: government leaders; government entities and teams; the business sector; and affected communities, weighing each response against the scale and severity of the risks involved.

In the technology-focused simulation, participants worked through scenarios including a sudden shutdown of artificial intelligence (AI) systems, AI models deliberately producing misleading information, and autonomous agents operating beyond their intended control. In one scenario, an autonomous drone development experiment deviated from its intended course, with the drones connecting to agentic AI systems and producing further units continuously.

Partnerships across disciplines and stakeholders emerged as essential to developing responsive and proactive solutions in an interconnected world, from physical infrastructure and the internet to software, digital platforms and intelligent systems.

Discussions also looked at how strategic intelligence and agentic AI could sharpen strategies and strengthen frameworks for governing AI in everyday life, safeguarding data sovereignty and reinforcing cybersecurity and digital resilience.

Held from 13-15 October under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Annual Meeting of Global Future Leaders 2026 is convened by the UAE Government, the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the Dubai Future Foundation. It brings together more than 700 participants from 90 countries. The meeting focuses on six themes: AI, Technology and Human Agency; Science, Discovery and Innovation; Economic Growth; Geopolitics, Security and Trade; Leadership and Human Flourishing; and Climate and Nature.