DUBAI: Trust is the foundation of a government’s success, according to the chairman of the World Governments Summit, the UAE’s Minister of Cabinet Affairs Mohammad Al-Gergawi.
“Trust in government (worldwide) stands only at 52 percent,” Al-Gergawi said on Tuesday, quoting findings from the Edelman Trust Barometer, on the opening day of the World Governments Summit 2025 in Dubai.
He emphasized the need to ensure that strong relationships are built between governments and the people they serve.
He said the world has undergone 25 years of unprecedented transformation with new challenges arising.
“We are stepping into an entirely new era in the history of human civilization,” he said.
Al-Gergawi said the global economy grew from $34 trillion in 2000 to $115 trillion in 2024, and international trade expanded from $7.1 trillion to $33 trillion during the same period.
Rising competition in technology and artificial intelligence has led to techno-political wars such as currently between DeepSeek and OpenAI, he added.
“In 2000, technological warfare and military robots existed only in science fiction. Today wars are fought with drones, autonomous weapons and AI.”
“Governments that understand the past deeply are the ones who are able to build a better future,” he added.
“I hope this summit will create a better landscape for the future of governments and humanity,” he said.
The World Governments Summit is a global, nonprofit organization “dedicated to shaping the future of governments,” according to its website.
The summit “explores the agenda of the next generation of governments, focusing on harnessing innovation and technology to solve humanity’s universal challenges.”
In attendance are more than 30 heads of states and government, delegations from 140 governments, and representatives from more than 80 global institutions.
