The Briefing Monocle Radio at the World Governments Summit in Dubai – Omar al-Olama and more
Feb 13, 2026
Kalfan Belhul, CEO shaping human-centred citymaking in Dubai; Saeed Al-Ghagawi, VP supporting the digital economy and merchant-driven growth; Inzman Rashid, journalist guiding conversations; Omar Al-Olamar, minister steering national AI and diplomacy. They discuss Dubai’s soft city design, regional diplomatic hub role, booming digital-economy platform, and the Middle East’s appetite for risk and global engagement.
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WGS: Practical, Optimistic, And Neutral
- Omar Al-Olamar outlines three ways WGS differs: listening not preaching, pragmatic optimism, and neutrality.
- He says the summit focuses on actionable topics where countries can collaborate and avoid choosing sides.
Region Moves From Capital To Problem-Solving
- Anand Jouan and Josh Hecker note the Middle East is shifting from financial risk-taking to tackling complex global problems.
- They see the region leveraging demographics, energy and tech to play a leading convening role.
Trusted Information Trumps Quantity
- Anand Jouan emphasises trust and credible information amid information overload.
- He positions reliable journalism and data as vital for decision-making at events like WGS.