WGS 2019: Urban areas can become world’s food basket, Dubai’s Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan says

Urban areas can become the world’s food basket. So said the Crown Prince of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, in a holographic address at the seventh World Government Summit (WGS 2019) in Dubai today.

Also known as “Fazza” by his 7.2 million Instagram followers, Sheikh Hamdan’s futuristic speech was a spectacular display capturing the futuristic ambitions of the emirate in a theatrical setting worthy of a Prince for the future.

Sheikh Hamdan said future cities should provide 80 percent of all services within 20 minutes of their residents, and horizontal farms will feed the world’s growing population.

The seventh WGS also learned that Dubai aims to become a driverless city in 50 years. Speaking of which, the Roads and Transport Authority’s (RTA) latest driverless transport was on display. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai jumped aboard to review the futuristic Sky Pods with his son Sheikh Hamdan. The Pods use 5 times less power than existing systems and can travel at 150km/h.

Costa Rica’s Minister of National Planning, Maria del Pilar Garrido Gonzalo, also revealed the Latin American state aims to become the world’s first carbon neutral country by 2021.

In the era of “fake news” Nathaniel Barling, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of the disruptive news startup Knowhere claimed: “If news is the chief architect of our social and political reality, it is impossible to rely on humans to provide news that is less biased and less partisan – that is what AI is for.” 

Meanwhile, the rise of China and the impact of Brexit are developments now challenging western economic supremacy, a roundtable on global trade was told.

The three-day World Government Summit 2019 runs until February 12 at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai. The landmark event has convened more than 4,000 participants from 140 countries, including heads of state and governments, as well as top-tier representatives of 30 international organizations.