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Dubai, UAE, 22 January 2026: The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF) concluded another year defined by great knowledge achievements, through the launch of multiple flagship initiatives and the development of its existing innovative programs. These strategic efforts have helped enable the seamless dissemination of knowledge and strengthen its pathways across diverse fields and levels. This demonstrates MBRF’s commitment and continuous efforts to create sustainable, knowledge-based communities supported by science and innovation, while bolstering the UAE’s pioneering position on the global knowledge landscape.
The 10th edition of the Knowledge Summit came at the forefront of MBRF’s achievements in 2025. Organized in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under the theme ‘Knowledge Markets: Developing Sustainable Communities,’ the Summit witnessed extensive participation, including knowledge leaders, thought pioneers, academic experts, and decision-makers from around the world. The Summit also saw a strong turnout exceeding 35,000 participants, both in person and virtually and delivered a rich lineup of 58 sessions, featuring over 200 speakers, along with the participation of 14 international organizations. The discussions shed light on the future of knowledge and its role in boosting sustainable development, empowering societies with advanced tools and solutions, thereby strengthening the UAE’s and Dubai’s position as an international hub for knowledge creation and innovation leadership.
During the Summit, the results of the 2025 edition of the Global Knowledge Index (GKI) were revealed, covering 195 countries, after a comprehensive development that brought significant changes to its structure and statistical tools. These changes included improving weighting standards and the inclusion of new indicators to assess future readiness across information and communications technology (ICT), governance, environment, and society. These enhancements provided deeper and more accurate data to support governments in creating evidence-based development policies that are internationally measurable and comparable.
Last year, MBRF’s Digital Knowledge Hub (DKH) continued to reinforce its standing as a leading knowledge platform, reaching nearly 4.9 million users, while its content exceeded 19 million digital materials across more than 1.2 million titles. The platform recorded over 85 million views, underscoring growing confidence in the platform and its substantial role in offering digital knowledge access to broader society across the globe.
MBRF also hosted a two-day Arab Awards Forum under the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Award (MBRKA) in Dubai. It convened representatives of 35 prestigious Arab awards, along with a group of thought leaders and knowledge and science experts across the region. The move came in line with MBRF’s constant efforts to encourage intellectual and creative activity and foster integration and collaboration among Arab awards.
The third edition of the Youth Knowledge Forum (YKF), held in Morocco, was another milestone. MBRF hosted the Forum in collaboration with UNDP and the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), under the theme ‘Knowledge is the Future.’ The Forum witnessed strong attendance and active participation, which exceeded two million followers over the two-day event. Furthermore, the fourth edition of the Forum was held in Egypt, in partnership with the Ministry of Youth and Sports through the Youth Knowledge Office, at Cairo University Theatre. The event experienced a remarkable turnout from senior officials, youth representatives, and thought leaders, and featured exchanges of insights and strategies on the knowledge economy, human development, and proposed mechanisms to strengthen knowledge-based economic growth.
The Future Skills Academy attained noticeable engagement and promising results, underscoring the surging demand across the Arab world for digital and professional skills development. The Academy registered nearly 22,000 learners, who completed more than 209,000 learning hours and over 2.6 million course assessments. Educational videos secured over 5.2 million views, while learning materials were accessed more than 3.3 million times across various programs. Major programs included ‘AI Engineer 1,’ ‘Data Analyst Level 1,’ and ‘Entrepreneurship.’ The most popular courses were ‘Machine Learning with Python,’ ‘The Business Model: A Tool for Entrepreneurs and Innovators,’ and ‘Foundations: Data, Data, Everywhere.’ The top three skills learned were ‘Machine Learning,’ ‘Data Analysis,’ and ‘Entrepreneurship Strategy.’ These efforts align with the Academy’s dedication to empowering 10 million learners in the Arab region with the most in-demand job market skills by 2030.
Meanwhile, the Dubai International Program for Writing (DIPW) underwent a major expansion in 2025, distributing more than 60,000 books as part of the ‘My Family Is Reading’ initiative. The collection featured family-focused books, novels, children’s literature, leadership, self-development, and literary criticism. Last year, the Program received over 800 applications, of which 85 trainees were accepted into its specialized schemes. In addition, five training workshops led by six trainers resulted in the publication of six new books by young authors. DIPW’s influence extended to six countries, including Jordan, Egypt, Australia, Canada, and Germany, benefiting over 15,000 individuals through more than 300 training workshops, dialogue sessions, and reading circles, featuring over 80 authors.
The Program also participated in the Frankfurt International Book Fair, the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, and the Sharjah International Book Fair, aiming to expand its international reach, alongside extensive engagement through MBRF’s platforms and live social media broadcasts.
On the sidelines of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 80), MBRF hosted a high-level conference at the UN headquarters in partnership with UNDP and the Permanent Mission of the UAE to the UN. The conference emphasized the critical role of knowledge tools and monitoring indices in accelerating the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and highlighted the need to design innovative indicators and frameworks that position future skills as foundational pillars of comprehensive and sustainable development, thereby reinforcing regional and global cooperation in this area.
Additionally, the Knowledge Lounge initiative continued its active role in fostering reading and knowledge exchange by hosting around 215 intellectual and knowledge sessions in 2025. These included in-person and virtual book discussions, training workshops, and events, with 180 books discussed under group reading programs. The events attracted nearly 3,200 participants and featured 56 authors from diverse backgrounds, including 18 Emirati writers. The initiative also held 30 sessions dedicated to Emirati publications, reaffirming its commitment to supporting national intellectual output.
The initiative expanded to six countries, including the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Australia, Canada, and Germany, spanning 13 cities. Furthermore, it hosted eight training workshops, qualified over 40 session moderators, and established strategic partnerships with more than 10 intellectual and knowledge-based entities.
To support the Arabic language, MBRF hosted the 13th edition of the ‘Bil Arabi’ initiative across nine shopping centers in the UAE, alongside parallel events in Bahrain, Egypt, and Pakistan. The initiative attracted 12,278 visitors from diverse age groups, with millions more engaging through digital platforms and social media.
MBRF also launched the official website of the ‘Bil Arabi’ initiative, featuring a rich digital library with a wide range of Arabic books, references, and translations catering to diverse age groups and disciplines. This step strengthened the presence of the Arabic language in the digital space and supported the sustainability of Arabic knowledge content.
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