Dubai’s World Government Summit: UAE minister says $17 trillion spent on war a year

A UAE minister warned that $17 trillion was lost to war and conflict in the past year – rather than spent on pressing needs such as construction, education and health – as world leaders and heads of state gathered in Dubai for the 2024 World Government Summit.

During the opening session of WGS 2024 on Monday, Mohammed Abdullah al-Gergawi, the UAE’s Minister of Cabinet Affairs and WGS chairman, said the Summit aims to focus on opportunities on the vast space for progress and development across the planet.

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He opened by pointing out key figures representing global trends and global development indicators that pose challenges to the future of the world.

He pointed out that $17 trillion is the cost of disputes, conflicts and violence around the world in just one year.

“This was not invested in construction, education and health, but in wars, sabotage and destruction,” he said. “This is fueled by media chaos, fear of the future and expecting the worst. But on the other hand, about six percent of this number could cover the cost of the most important challenges facing humanity in one year.”

“For example, it could eliminate hunger and literacy, treat cancer and provide clean wa-ter to humanity. Imagine what could be achieved if we invested more in addressing other challenges facing humanity,” he said.

He added: “What unites us as humanity is much more than what divides us,” adding that resources the planet contains “is enough for us and for future generations” if invested well and used for the good of humanity.

“As it was said, it is not the strong that wins the war, but rather the weak who lose the peace.”

He pointed out that 50 percent of global growth comes from China and India alone - two countries that will shape the future of global economic growth.

China alone, he said, invested in 29,000 patents in artificial intelligence last year – four times as much as the US. Furthermore, India “is a rising superpower in various fields such as technology and science.”

The rest of the Asia Pacific region will contribute up to 25 percent of global growth.

“So how can humanity cooperate to benefit from this emerging new global economic engine, instead of confronting it or trying to obstruct it?,” he asked.

He also addressed AI, saying tools such as ChatGPT made by OpenAI have moved from analysing billions of data to trillions of data in just one year.

Google's AI tool Gemini, formerly known as Bard, now has a processing speed that exceeds the human brain by more than 100,000 times, he said.

“This system was able to summarize a 500-page book in just five seconds. Studies are predicted that artificial intelligence will take over 70 percent of tasks in various sectors and our productivity as humans will exceed everything we imagined using this technology.”

But despite what AI can bring, the technology is a “double-edged sword,” he said, pointing out that the number of fabricated videos tripled year-on-year in 2023, distorting facts, changing attitudes and shaping awareness.

“False information will be one of the biggest challenges facing humanity. So how can you protect the truth from distortion?”

The three-day event – held under the theme “Shaping Future Governments” - will be attended by more than 25 world leaders, 140 governments, 85 international organizations and 4,000 attendees at Madinat Jumeirah.

They include Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani who are leading high-level delegations from their countries and have been named guests of honour at this year’s summit.

Other key attendees include Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly; Jasem al-Budaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council; Ahmed Abdoul Gheit, Secretary General of the League of the Arab States; and OpenAI co-founder Sam Altman.

On Sunday, on the eve of WGS, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed said the UAE continues its efforts to promote cooperation between world governments, stemming from the belief that current challenges can only be navigated through joint efforts and a collective commitment to unified visions that will see the world to a safer, more prosperous future.

“The World Governments Summit is the UAE’s responsible invitation to the whole world, to join the dialogue, share knowledge and invest in new ideas and creative energies that are capable of creating innovative solutions to development challenges, and meet peoples’ expectations of a good life and a better future,” he said.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, said WGS has transformed over its 11-year lifespan.

“The UAE believes that real governments are capable of translating people’s ambi-tions into a sustainable reality,” he said. “When government work is afflicted with stalling and procrastination, when it is dependent on happenstance, these are signs of the end of development, and the end of human civilization itself. When governments fail to deliver their mission of leading and enacting change, they waive their entitlement to the present and the future; they retire from life.”

WGS will host 110 interactive dialogues and sessions with over 200 prominent speakers, including presidents, ministers, and visionaries, alongside 23 ministerial meetings and executive sessions welcoming over 300 ministers and an elite group of Nobel laureates.

The summit is also set to launch around 25 strategic reports in collaboration with think tanks, academic and research bodies addressing global trends across key sectors. Additionally, 15 global forums focusing on strategizing and future planning in vital sectors will be organized in partnership with international organizations and world tech companies to address challenges across the world.

A host of panel discussions and dialogues will be held during the summit, including roundtables bringing together heads of state, officials, thought leaders and repre-sentatives of international organizations and the private sector, all working together to boost cooperation and identify solutions to future challenges.

A number of high-level ministerial meetings are also planned during the event, including Arab finance ministers meeting; a meeting of energy ministers and a meeting of ministers involved in sustainable development.

Highlighting six main themes focusing on various key issues from government work and artificial intelligence to health and education, the World Governments Summit will present several global awards celebrating ministers and private sector players for their outstanding contributions to a better world. It will also launch the Global Survey of Ministers, where ministers from across the globe are invited to share their ideas on crucial global issues and collaborate on creating solutions.

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