Sánchez to meet with fifty leaders in Dubai this Tuesday for the World Governments Summit

The Diplomat The Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, will participate this Tuesday, February 3, in the World Governments Summit, held in Dubai, which is being attended by representatives of more than 150 governments, including fifty leaders. Sánchez, who arrives in Dubai on Monday evening, will have a full day of activities on Tuesday, beginning with breakfast with representatives of Spanish companies and continuing with a meeting with representatives of sovereign wealth funds. Following this, the Prime Minister will deliver a speech before the plenary session (around 1:00 PM local time, three hours earlier in Spain) of the World Governments Summit and will conclude the day with a meeting with Brian Gu, Honorary Vice Chairman of the Board and Co-Chairman of the smart electric vehicle company XPeng Motors. This Monday marked the fourth anniversary of Pedro Sánchez's first trip to the United Arab Emirates, the first by a Spanish Prime Minister since José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero's visit in 2011. On February 2, 2022, Sánchez traveled to Dubai (accompanied, among others, by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares) to preside over Spain Day at the Universal Exposition. During that trip, Sánchez signed a joint declaration to create a strategic partnership between the two countries, signed a bilateral agreement for the Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Investments, and presided over the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Mubadala (Abu Dhabi's large sovereign wealth fund) and COFIDES (Spanish Development Finance Company) for the joint identification and financing of projects. Sánchez returned to Dubai in December 2023 to attend the COP28 climate change summit. Therefore, his presence at the World Governments Summit marks Pedro Sánchez's third trip to Dubai in the last four years. The Summit The World Governments Summit was established in 2013 at the initiative of the Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai. The summit's objective, according to its organizers, is "to formulate shared strategies and visions to improve governance and international cooperation." Through a broad agenda of debates and panels, the summit will attempt to identify realistic and effective solutions to growing global challenges and "develop ideas and approaches that empower governments" in order to "ensure prosperity and progress in a rapidly changing world." The 2026 World Governments Summit will bring together the largest number of leaders in its history, with over 45 heads of state and government, more than 15 deputy heads of state, over 500 ministers, and representatives from more than 150 governments. The summit will also feature prominent global thought leaders and experts, with a total attendance of over 6,250 participants. The Summit agenda highlights five key themes: Global Governance and Effective Leadership, Social Welfare and Capacity Building, Economic Prosperity and Strategic Investments, Urban Future and Evolving Demographics, and Future Realities and Emerging Frontiers. In addition to the planned forums and meetings, the summit will release 36 strategic reports in cooperation with international knowledge partners and launch the third edition of the Global Ministerial Survey. Among the leaders who will participate in the forum are, in addition to Pedro Sánchez, Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund; Daniel Noboa, President of Ecuador; Guy Parmelin, President of Switzerland; Alar Karis, President of Estonia; Vjosa Osmani, President of Kosovo; Taye Atske Selassie, President of Ethiopia; Nawaf Salam, Prime Minister of Lebanon; Irakli Kobakhidze, Prime Minister of Georgia; Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary General of the League of Arab States; Santiago Peña Palacios, President of Paraguay; Đuro Macut, Prime Minister of Serbia; Sheikh Ahmed Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Prime Minister of Kuwait; Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, President of North Macedonia; The second day will feature the main speeches of H.H. Sheikh Ahmed Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Prime Minister of the State of Kuwait; Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, President of the Republic of North Macedonia; Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister of Egypt; and Calixto Ortega Sánchez, vice president of Economy of Venezuela; Mokhtar Ould Djay, Prime Minister of Mauritania; Evika Siliņa, Prime Minister of Latvia; or José Ramos-Horta, president of Timor-Leste, among others.

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