Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum
The World Government Summit brought together speakers from 139 countries to Dubai to share innovative ways to redesign government to meet today’s challenges.
World Economic Forum Founder Klauss Schwab called the event “a meeting of worldwide importance” in his speech to attendees.
When Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai’s ruler, visited Creative Governments Exhibition at the summit, he seemed impressed by what he saw.
“This exhibition sets a good example of how the utilisation of science, innovation and creativeness can serve people and what the wise leadership can do when science, work and interests of citizens are the driving force towards the best,” Sheikh Mohammed is quoted as saying by Gulf News.
This is somewhat unsurprising, given that the Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Government Innovation, which organized the exhibition, strives for more creative solutions to government problems.
The exhibition featured 13 government innovations from 12 countries – one standout was Peru, whose Ministry of Environment has used eagles to find illegal landfills. That may seem like a farfetched idea, but it has yielded success and Sheikh Mohammed wants to emulate such ambitious projects in the UAE.
He emphasized that government innovation is not a luxury of any sort, nor is it propaganda – it’s necessary for governments to remain strong and relevant, ensuring the wellbeing of its people. With rising technology, all landscapes are changing, so governments must also adapt.
“When governments work based on innovation, its atmosphere will be based on innovation as well and when it encourages innovation and creative work, its people’s potential unleashes towards new ambitions; their talents are developed in harmony and the achievement of their dreams and aspirations become perfectly possible,” Sheikh Mohammed said, according to Gulf News. “This is the secret behind the success of countries that encourage their peoples to innovate.”
