His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, today inaugurated the second edition of Knowledge Summit 2015, under the theme ‘The Way to Innovation.’


The opening ceremony of the three-day summit, organised by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation (MBRF), was held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Dubai.


The event was attended by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, and Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation.


Knowledge Summit 2015, the leading platform to discuss the most innovative solutions in the transfer, dissemination and localisation of knowledge in Arab communities, began three days of interactive sessions and activities. The Summit runs from 7th to 9th December.


Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid inspected a number of internationally-accredited innovations at the hotel's hall, where he was briefed about the device to detect toxic gases in the oil, a new pancreas device to follow up on the patient's condition accurately without the need for daily check-up and a special device to activate the reading service, and another device to reduce the proportion of irrigation water in plants and increase agricultural production in a modern and economical way.


He praised the scientific and technological talent of the Arab youth, noting that it will harness this potential to fulfill the welfare of people across the Arab world. Sheikh Mohammed welcomed the guests, calling for interactive co-operation between the private and public sectors at the regional and international levels.


Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed and Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed honoured the winners of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Award.

Nat Geo Channel, Hiroshi Ishiguro, Ahmed Alshugairi share $1 million award

The award was shared between National Geographic Channel; Hiroshi Ishiguro, Professor of the Department of Innovation Systems in the Graduate School of Engineering Science at Osaka University; and Ahmed Alshugairi, presenter of ‘Khawatir’ television programme.

Gary E. Knell, President and CEO of National Geographic, received the prize of half-a-million US dollars on behalf of the channel while Hiroshi Ishiguro and Ahmed Alshugairi received quarter million US dollars each in prize money.

In a video address at the opening of the Summit, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon called for investments in knowledge and empowerment initiatives to overcome the challenges facing the region, and praised the efforts of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in this regard.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Jamal bin Huwaireb, Managing Director of MBRF, said: “Our region faces several challenges, particularly in the economic area, where there is an urgent need to secure jobs and decent livelihood for millions of young people. The Knowledge Summit comes as a unique opportunity to achieve innovative solutions to overcome these challenges. The Summit offers a global platform that brings together innovators and experts to create visions and ideas, showcasing the best practices to restore the value of knowledge in Arab societies.”

The results of the Arab Knowledge Index, which monitors the status of knowledge in the Arab world, will be released during the Knowledge Summit.

Highlighting the importance of the Arab Knowledge Index at the opening of the Summit, Ahmad Alshugairi, prominent Arab television personality, said that measuring knowledge is important to achieve sustainable development.

“The Arab world has witnessed growing literacy rate over the last few decades. In 1960, only 18 per cent of the people in the region were literate. By 2015, the literacy rate in the region has gone up to 82 per cent.

“At the same time, the literacy rate in several countries experiencing unrest in the region has come down drastically to 38 per cent. We hope that by 2020 all Arab countries will achieve complete literacy,” Alshugairi said.  

Education is one of the key pillars of the Summit this year, considering its importance in achieving the development and progress of the community.

Another key pillar is Information Technology, which has come to play a critical role in building the future of nations and the development of major projects. Discussions at the Summit will also focus on Scientific Research in view of its significance in the development of societies and human capacity development. Innovation in the field of Media and Film Industry will be another focal area.

Commenting on the launch of the Summit, Jamal bin Huwaireb, Managing Director of MBRF, said, "This year the Knowledge Summit is being organised under the theme, 'The Way to Innovation' in line with the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan to mark the year 2015 as the Year of Innovation.

"The event is a unique opportunity that brings together influencers, experts and stakeholders in the knowledge domain to discuss ways to employ innovation in the dissemination and transfer of knowledge in fields such as education, scientific research and information technology."


He added that the Knowledge Summit 2015 has emerged as one of the biggest international gatherings to promote knowledge on an annual basis, and represents the ideal global platform to discuss ways to strengthen the efforts to build knowledge-based sustainable societies and economies. The hosting of the Summit by MBRF reflects the Foundation's leading position in the field of knowledge development and its dissemination at the local and global level.


The Summit this year includes a range of interesting sessions addressed by top level international speakers, including ministers, knowledge influencers, scientists and innovators, enhancing Dubai's position in the field of knowledge in the global arena.


The most prominent speakers include Gordon Brown, former British Prime Minister; Steve Wozniak, American inventor and co-founder of Apple Inc; French astronaut Patrick Baudry; David Bennett, Chief Development Officer at National Geographic Society; Eng. Hussain Al Hammadi, UAE Minister of Education; Elias Bou Saab, Minister of Education and Higher Education, Lebanon; Dr. Ali Al Kaabi, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Enrollment at United Arab Emirates University; Prof. Eric Fouache, Vice Chancellor of Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi; Dr. Essam Heggy, Egyptian space scientist at NASA; and HRH Princess Ghida Talal, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of King Hussein Cancer Foundation.


Education is one of the key pillars of the Summit this year, considering its importance in achieving development and progress in the community. Another key pillar is Information Technology, which has come to play a critical role in building the future of nations and the development of major projects. Discussions at the Summit will also focus on Scientific Research in view of its significance in the development of societies and human capacity development. Innovation in the field of media and the film industry will be another focal area.



In yet another major initiative, the Summit will witness the launch of a knowledge portal, which will serve as an electronic platform of reference for researchers, academics, decision makers and civil society institutions, offering vital data and research material on the topics related to knowledge and development.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Sima Bahouth, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General, and Director of the Regional Bureau for Arab States in the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), said: “The Arab Knowledge Index and the associated ‘Knowledge for All’ electronic platform that we are launching today elaborate, in an innovative and interactive manner,  the essential link between knowledge, innovation and sustainable development.
“This is highlighted through the three Arab Knowledge Reports that we have produced with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation.”

She added: “Together they provide two key tools in the pursuit to of knowledge societies and economies, which are critical to achieving sustainable human development in the Arab region.
“They represent a qualitative and new addition to the record of the Arab Knowledge Project, which could not have achieved the results it has accomplished without the distinguished partnership between UNDP and MBRF. I express my sincere thanks and great appreciation to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum for his continuous support for development and knowledge efforts in the Arab region and the world.”