Summit ‘mindblown’ by ‘genius’ hologram speech
dubai — In a touch of brilliance on Monday, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council, delivered a speech via hologram to thousands in attendance at the World Government Summit (WGS). And in doing so, he laid to rest the concerns of many who feel technology could soon take the place of the human being.
“It was a touch of genius. By doing that, he proved that there is not an ‘either/or’ solution to em- bracing technology. What he em- phasised is that we need both the digitisation and human element for economies to thrive in the future,” Chris Molomo from Botswana told Khaleej Times.
Following the unexpected 30-minute session with a truly 21st-century twist, Sheikh Hamdan’s unique delivery became a talking point among the thousands of visitors who turned out on day two of WGS.
Emirati Meshal Binhussain said after attending the session that he was “in awe” of what he witnessed.
“Delivering his speech via virtual reality was a powerful message. He proved today that the UAE government wants to reach everyone, regardless of geographical boundaries. It’s like an open invitation to join him in embracing the fourth industrial revolution and it’s a look into what’s to come in the future,” Binhussain said.
Also visiting from Botswana was parliament member Kelebileng Kokoro. Asked about what she
thought of the speech, she said it was a “great summation” of what has been a key topic of discussion throughout WGS.
“We have been learning about how technology is shaping the future, and there has been a lot of questions about how we can embrace it without displacing us, the human being. So what better way to address these concerns than by using tech in this way. He brought the human touch back into it.”