His Excellency Abdulla Bin Touq Al Marri, Minister, Ministry of Economy, UAE today delivered the opening address at the much-anticipated inaugural edition of SuperBridge Summit (https://SuperBridgeDubai.com/) at Dubai’s iconic Museum of the Future. The first-of-its kind summit highlighted the world’s fastest growing economies and the collaborative opportunities that exist, offered a glimpse into the future of business and discussed the potential of AI to stimulate private investment and propel growth forward at a pace unimaginable just a decade ago.

In his keynote address, H.E. Minister Al Marri underscored why Dubai was the perfect location for the first SuperBridge Summit, commenting: “The global economy is going through immense change and new markets are reshaping the economic landscape with unprecedented growth. The UAE is deeply committed to fostering international cooperation with a knowledge-based and innovation-driven society to benefit this transformation. The UAE stands ready to play a pivotal role by creating an investment environment for economies to grow and expand through collaboration, building bridges for an inclusive and sustainable future.

His Excellency Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director General, Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism, Member of the Executive Council, UAE also spoke at the opening session of the Summit, adding: “We live in a region with tremendous opportunities and bringing people together from all parts of the world is important given the challenges we face. The SuperBridge Summit bridges the gaps and cements economic prosperity to better the world.”

Day one of the summit provided a unique platform converging more than 500 investors, business, government, policy and cultural leaders from 20 countries to accelerate investment and co-creation opportunities in hitherto untapped and under-explored markets.

In a panel titled ‘The Importance of Public Private Partnerships in Boosting Economic Growth in the Fastest Growing Economies’, visionaries discussed the levers propelling the world’s fastest growing economies. Speakers Shane Tedjarati, Chairman of VS Partners & Co-founder of Superbridge Council, Dr. Henry Huiyao Wang, Founder and President of Center for China and Globalization and H.E. Umar Saif, Federal Minister for Science and Technology and Minister of IT of Pakistan, outlined the transformation driving economic development and the business ecosystem needed to drive growth.

The day was packed with impactful and engaging sessions, featuring a diverse line-up of influential speakers covering a range of topics. During a panel session titled ‘Cross-Border Capital Allocation: Unlocking Multifaceted Investment Value’, forward-thinking industry leaders from Africa and Asia including Vanessa Xu, Co-founder, SuperBridge Council, Executive Chairman & CIO, VS Partners and Takashi Maruyama, Chief Investment Officer, Asset Management One discussed investment opportunities driving long-term growth. With the region undergoing an unprecedented economic transformation, panellists outlined compelling reasons to invest in underappreciated markets. Invaluable insights from experts in the private and public sector ensured a compelling and lively discussion of the key drivers of investment opportunities into untapped markets across the world.

Meanwhile, in a panel session titled ‘Envisioning the Future of Sustainable Tourism and Mobility in the Post-Covid Era’, Jane Sun, CEO of Trip.com and Mudassir Sheikha, Co-Founder and CEO of Careem discussed how technologies can address environmental challenges in tourism. Panellists outlined the cause for the resurgence of the tourism sector post pandemic and the effect it will have on global mobility. 

Visitors had the opportunity to experience live performances by the likes of HS Liu, Pulitzer Prize Winner and Distinguished Adjunct Professor at Shanghai Tech University in Hong Kong, who led an interactive virtual showcase titled ‘The World is Not What it Looks Like’. The Pulitzer Prize winner presented an engaging journey through modern history with attendees compelled to think deeply about the bridge to the future.

A pioneering initiative by KAOUN International, a subsidiary of Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), and the SuperBridge Council, the SuperBridge Summit Dubai is being held in partnership with the 43rd edition of GITEX Global, the world’s largest and most influential tech event hosted in Dubai, attracting 180,000 tech executives and investors from 180 countries.

More information is available at https://SuperBridgeDubai.com/