DUBAI- Experts at the Dubai Future Forum 2025 stressed that future cities will be shaped by rapid technological progress and deeper integration between scientific and interdisciplinary fields, creating major opportunities across existing and emerging sectors.
Adam Scott, Co-Founder of the Experience Foundation, said future communities will rely on intelligent operating systems that coordinate services using new coding models, artificial intelligence and open public data. He noted that tomorrow’s cities must prioritise human and social connections, with urban design rooted in shared stories, cultural links and collaborative development.
Scott added that built environments must evolve to keep pace with cultural change, emphasising the need to involve people in shaping their surroundings to strengthen belonging and humanise future communities. He called on global developers, planners and creatives to work together to build vibrant, future-ready urban ecosystems.
In a keynote on Dubai’s model for people-centric cities, Marwan bin Ghalita, Director-General of Dubai Municipality, said Dubai’s strength lies in its constant renewal. He noted that residents can reach essential services within 20 minutes — and in some areas within five — making Dubai a fully integrated city designed around people’s needs. He highlighted Dubai’s success in attracting global talent and turning cultural diversity into a driver of innovation through strong partnerships with the private sector and academic institutions.
He affirmed that Dubai will continue advancing as a global hub for living, working and quality of life.
In a session on belonging in future cities, Professor Lesley Lokko, Founder and Chair of the African Futures Institute, said urban development will play a decisive role in shaping community identities. She noted that Dubai exemplifies how deep heritage can coexist with rapid development, with knowledge, dialogue and curiosity now central to shaping the future. Lokko said the future of cities is an evolving process that requires flexible, hybrid models rooted in demographic vitality and cultural awareness.
A plenary session titled From Molecules to Stars: What’s Next? explored the next phase of human discovery. Dr Nikku Madhusudhan, Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Cambridge, said humanity is closer than ever to detecting signs of life beyond Earth, not only on Earth-like planets but in entirely new worlds. He said the question is shifting from whether life exists elsewhere to understanding the many ways life may appear across the universe.
He added that unprecedented technological advances will expand humanity’s cosmic perspective, encouraging society to see itself as part of a wider universe and to rethink life on Earth in light of future discoveries.
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