UAE joins WEF forum to develop policy

Country to partner with centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution

The World Economic Forum (WEF) said yesterday that the UAE along with Brazil and Denmark, has joined WEF forum centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, to close the growing gap between emerging technologies and policy development.

Under the agreement, each government will have to partner with leading businesses, startups, civil society, academia and international organisations to code sign and pilot new approaches to policy to help shape the trajectory of emerging technology and will be piloted by governments and businesses, the WEF said in an emailed statement.

The UAE will partner with the centre to develop a “futureflexible” national data policy and strategy. This approach is designed to complement the fast-moving nature of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain. The UAE is the first nation to take this approach, according to the WEF statement.

Brazil and Denmark, meanwhile, will join the Internet of Things (IoT) and Connected Devices project at the centre.

“Emerging technologies are advancing at unprecedented speed, putting enormous pressure on regulatory frameworks,” said Klaus Schwab, Executive Chairman and Founder of the World Economic Forum, in a statement. “The Centre ... is a global hub for public-private cooperation to help governments and businesses adopt agile governance policies to maximise the benefits of science and technology for society,” he added.