At the Dubai Future Forum 2025, researchers and industry leaders presented a series of forecasts and early findings that reflect rapid developments across genomics, astrophysics, artificial intelligence and global energy systems.
Dr. Trevor Martin, Co-founder and Chief Executive of Mammoth Biosciences, reported that recent technical progress in gene editing may enable durable treatments for a broad range of inherited disorders within the next decade. Martin described an approach intended to function as a single-intervention therapy and argued that such methods could bring substantial change to existing models of healthcare delivery.
In his opening remarks, Khalfan Belhoul, Chief Executive of the Dubai Future Foundation, introduced the concept of national cognitive potential. He stated that the capacity of societies to cultivate and coordinate collective intelligence will strongly influence their competitiveness in fields that depend on advanced computation, including artificial intelligence.
During a separate session, Dr. Nikku Madhusudhan, Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Cambridge, outlined the increasing likelihood of detecting life beyond Earth. He noted that current observations of exoplanet atmospheres include signatures of carbon-bearing molecules, which are considered potential indicators of biological processes. Madhusudhan suggested that the central question is not solely whether life will be found but whether the scientific community is prepared to interpret unfamiliar forms of biology should they be detected.
Ahead of the event, Mastercard Chief Executive Michael Miebach confirmed that the company, working with Majid Al-Futtaim, had completed what it characterized as the first commerce transaction in Dubai executed fully by an autonomous AI agent. The demonstration involved the purchase of cinema tickets without direct human input.
Youth perspectives on technology integration were presented by Beatrice Wilson, a UNICEF Youth Foresight Fellowship member from Ghana. Wilson shared findings that indicate many students now prefer generative AI systems to seek academic support. Participants attributed this trend to concerns about possible judgement in conventional classroom interactions.
Several broader trends were also highlighted during the forum. Analysts noted that in the summer of 2025, global solar energy generation exceeded nuclear power production for the first time. Forecasts presented by experts suggested that by 2028 nearly one third of Fortune 500 chief executives may maintain digital twin systems to support strategic decision making. Longer term projections indicated that by 2060 only forty eight of every one hundred individuals may remain in the formal workforce due to demographic and technological shifts. Researchers also emphasized that approximately eighty percent of currently available genomic datasets originate from individuals of European ancestry, and they called for expanded global representation in genomics research.
Finally, the United Arab Emirates confirmed plans to establish a scientific facility in Antarctica with a projected capacity to host more than fifty researchers.