• Two-day event returns to NYUAD on 27-28 March to tackle long-term challenges facing the world 
• Speakers include UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs H.E. Dr Anwar Gargash, former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, former Director of the NSA Admiral Mike Rogers, former Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, and Editor-in-Chief of The National Mina Al Oraibi

Abu Dhabi, 17 March 2019: Ideas Abu Dhabi, a two-day ideas festival bringing together some of the brightest minds from the UAE and around the world to tackle complex global challenges, returns for the third time on 27-28 March. 

Part invite-only Forum, part public Festival, Ideas Abu Dhabi will be held at New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), on Saadiyat Island and features a powerful lineup of Emirati and international speakers from across government, business, academia, and media.
 
The 2019 Forum will focus on four specific tracks, each of which explores in depth some of the great challenges and opportunities of our time. 
Referred to as “moonshots”, the 2019 tracks will examine the challenges to the current global order; the latest efforts to understand and even enhance the human brain; the impacts of the oncoming revolutions in transportation; and the dangers of a new cyber battleground. 

The Forum will be followed by an open-to-all public Festival packed with thought-provoking talks, interactive exhibits and workshops, and inspiring musical performances. 

Ideas Abu Dhabi is held in association with the Aspen Institute, an educational and policy studies organisation based in Washington, DC, and is hosted by Tamkeen, a company that delivers projects enriching Abu Dhabi’s social, cultural, and educational landscape. 

Speaking ahead of Ideas Abu Dhabi, President and CEO of the Aspen Institute, Dan Porterfield, said: “Ideas Abu Dhabi has rapidly become a premier opportunity for some of the most engaging thinkers and doers from across the world to meet, connect, and elevate compelling ideas. Tamkeen have been wonderful partners to the Aspen Institute in this venture, and we are thrilled to be returning to the UAE’s capital – a vibrant international hub that is always looking ahead to the future – to continue engaging with the vital issues of our time.”

A Special Fellows Programme will also run during the event, reflecting the critical role of young people in shaping the future of the UAE. 
Supported by the UAE Federal Youth Authority, the Special Fellows Programme is designed to expose future Emirati leaders to today’s global thinkers and industry experts. Following a rigorous selection process, ten high-achieving young Emirati Special Fellows have been selected to attend and participate in Ideas Abu Dhabi. 

Saeed Al Nazari, Director General of the Federal Youth Authority, said: “One of the top priorities of the Federal Youth Authority is to empower and involve Emirati youth in critical discussions and debates on challenges of global importance. The Special Fellows Programme creates a platform in which young people of the UAE are exposed to some of the world’s most ground breaking thinking from world leaders and industry experts, and allows them to challenge their ideas and assumptions. The UAE Government attaches great importance to listening to the voices and contributions of the Emirati youth, and the Special Fellows Programme at Ideas Abu Dhabi allows us to do just that.”