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BATTLE REPORTS

Futurists X Summit 2025 Dubai Field Report and Ecosystem Perspective Analysis.

  • Writer: Alejandro Canonero
    Alejandro Canonero
  • Oct 5
  • 12 min read

Updated: Oct 8

This field report is for leaders who want signal, not noise. I attended the Futurist summit in Dubai. In this article I analyze the full program through my Ecosystems glasses provide my feedback and recomendations, complemented with external examples.

Alejandro Canonero at the Futurists Summing Dubai 2025.
Alejandro Canonero at the Futurists Summing Dubai 2025.

The event took place from 22 September 2025 at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel Conference Centre in Dubai. The program combined plenaries, solution labs, and book signings. The roster featured Professor Brian Cox, Commander Scott Kelly, Dr Tommaso Ghidini, Brett King, Dr Abir Haddad, Robert Tercek, David Orban, Kevin J Anderson, Ross Dawson, Zoltan Istvan, Andrew Hessel, and senior leaders from Mastercard and Emirates NBD. Dubai acted as convenor and testbed, with the explicit aim of compressing time from idea to policy to deployment. [R1] [R2] [R3] [R4]


Executive TLDR

• What happened?.

Two day summit in Dubai with global futurists and operators focused on AI, quantum, space, climate, and longevity

• Why it matters?.

Dubai treats the future as an operating problem, not a talking point, using a convene to codify to deploy cycle. [R5] [R6].

• My Ecosystem lens.

I analysed the event and made the assertions below through my ecosystem perspective, and I cite relevant complementary primary sources.

• Core recommendation;

To scale impact, sector leaders must collaborate on one shared playbook; be thourugh with data & identity protection, post quantum deployment risk management, immediately secure assets & payments, and advance on practical forward thinking policy.


Start to make ideas reality, move beyond hype and talk. Name owners, link initiatives to marketplaces and connect to agent workflows to simplify adoption of core initiatives, schedule quarterly project updates, and publicly disclose progress on three key metrics per program consistently.



Executive takeaways from Futurists X Summit 2025 Dubai

  1. Speakers treated AI, quantum, space, health, and climate as problems to solve with clear policies and business plans.

  2. Dubai runs a clear loop you can see on the calendar. First bring leaders together, then write the rules, then put those rules to work in live pilots. This is why each gathering shows real progress by the next one. [R5] [R6]

  3. To scale results, leaders need one shared playbook for data, identity, payments, and policy. Without the same playbook, programs slow down or stop.

  4. Quantum computers will break some old security. NIST has published safer replacements. Boards should start the move now. [R8] [R9] What to watch next. A published crypto inventory across ministries and banks and a staged migration plan referencing FIPS 203 and FIPS 204.

  5. Health, space, and climate projects now connect tightly with AI. New markets will grow where data is shared safely and rules can update quickly. [R10] [R11] [R12] [R13] [R17] [R18]

  6. Measure what matters. Track faster service, lower losses, and wider access. These three numbers tell you if the future is working.

  7. Some headline speakers took too much time. This limited other voices. Tighter facilitation and clear time limits would improve balance and outcomes.

  8. The summit positioned Dubai as a living laboratory and a bridge between East and West. It operates as a movement with solution labs and ongoing work rather than a one off conference. [R3]



Operating implications for Policymakers and Operators

  1. Name accountable owners for data, identity, payments, and policy, and publish a living rulebook.

  2. Align distribution rails by linking marketplaces and payments networks to the agent workflows that will run transactions. [R20] [R21] [R22] [R24]

  3. Establish a quarterly policy sprint that ties sandboxes to scheduled rule updates with telemetry, including quantum inventories. [R5] [R6] [R25]

  4. Use coalition agreements to trade access, data, and distribution for measurable outcomes.

  5. Track three numbers per program. Cycle time reduction, loss avoidance, and inclusion lift.

  6. Work the annual sequence. Q1 for alignment and talent at AI Week, Q3 for cross sector doctrine at Futurists X, and Q4 November for codification at Dubai Future Forum. [R5] [R6] [R1]

  7. Build AI literacy programs for workers and managers so adoption is safe and broad based.

  8. Set financing and incentive models for longevity science that reward prevention and access, not just procedures.



AI Themes to dive deeper after the summit.

  1. AI is now institutional infrastructure.

    Observation: Sessions treated AI as part of the control plane for policy, finance, health, and security. The discourse focused on agent systems that transact and govern under explicit guardrails.

    Example: Dubai’s cadence across AI Retreat and AI Week confirms the policy operating rhythm. [R5] [R6]

    Example. The UAE created a Regulatory Intelligence Office and is using AI to help draft and amend laws. That is AI inside the state operating system. The discussion also raised basic AI literacy for workers and citizens to keep adoption inclusive and safe.

    What to watch next?. Publication of AI literacy targets for workers and managers and public release of change logs from the Regulatory Intelligence Office.

    Sources: [R7]


  2. Quantum is an economic and regulatory story.

    Observation: Executive concern centered on time to compromise rather than time to advantage. The migration to postquantum cryptography must begin at board level.

    Example. The first NIST standards for postquantum cryptography are live. If you operate payments, identity, or sensitive archives, you now need an inventory of keys and a timeline for crypto agility with service level expectations.

    What to watch next? Public cryptography inventories, board approved migration plans, and service level dates for postquantum cutover.

    Sources: See FIPS 203 ML KEM and FIPS 204 ML DSA. [R8] [R9]


  3. Longevity has become a policy supply chain.

    Observation: The debate moved from laboratory breakthroughs to data rights, reimbursement models, national genomic infrastructure, and the urgency to update regulation.

    Example: The Emirati Genome Programme plus the Dubai Health Authority NABIDH health information exchange provide a practical template for prevention first policies and healthspan equity at population scale.

    What to watch next?. Consent dashboards for citizens, reimbursement models that reward prevention, and access targets for longevity services.

    Sources: [R10] [R11] [R12]


  4. Space is resilience strategy rather than spectacle.

    Observation; Sessions with Commander Scott Kelly and ESA leadership reframed space capability as redundancy for science, industry, and national morale, with calls for international cooperation, planetary protection, and off world governance.

    Example. The Emirates Mars Mission and its Deimos campaign show steady program execution. For the civilian economy, the near term wins are Earth observation for insurance and agriculture, timing for finance, and communications for disaster response.

    What to watch next?. Insurance products and credit terms that use local Earth observation data and formal cooperation updates between UAE Space Agency and finance or agriculture ministries.

    Sources: [R13] [R14] [R15] [R16]


  5. Climate resilience has moved from narrative to engineering.

    Observation; The focus was adaptive cities, eco refugee planning, protection for vulnerable populations, and hard infrastructure with finance attached.

    Example; The Mohammed bin Rashid Solar Park is moving toward multi gigawatt capacity, and Dubai is executing the Tasreef stormwater upgrade that includes a century scale drainage plan. Ecosystem builders should price physical risk into credit, insurance, logistics, and workforce planning.

    What to watch next?. DEWA milestone updates on solar capacity and new public releases on the Tasreef drainage program, plus city level heat and flood readiness metrics. [R17] [R18] [R19].


  6. Digital geopolitics and platform power are reshaping governance.

    Observation; Power is shifting toward large technology platforms, requiring digital covenants, privacy safeguards, and living regulation that can update as algorithms change.

    Example; Dubai’s convene to codify to deploy loop and the emphasis on policy sandboxes point to a model of tech diplomacy where city and enterprise rules coevolve.

    What to watch next?. City and enterprise digital covenants, privacy safeguards in practice, and a visible cadence for sandbox reviews.  [R5] [R6] [R3]



Ecosystem Strategy Recomendations to Execute on summit insights.


  1. Build AI first market systems not AI last apps.

    Action. Treat agents as market participants with permissions, budgets, audit trails, and dispute flows.

    Example. Mastercard is operationalizing agent commerce and has integrated AI across fraud and cyber programs at global payment scale. Study Agent Pay and Decision Intelligence Pro and the security portfolio led by senior leadership. [R20] [R21] [R22] [R23] [R24]

    Gap observed. Many sessions showed powerful models but few walked the last mile of agent permissions, budgets, audit, and dispute tied to identity and payments.


  2. Make postquantum migration a board program with ecosystem incentives.

    Action. Inventory cryptography, mandate crypto agile interfaces, reward partners who hit milestones, and set sunsets for legacy protocols.

    Example. Use the FIPS 203 and FIPS 204 canon as the baseline and publish a partner compatibility matrix with required upgrade windows. [R8] [R9]

    Gap observed. There was no shared inventory of cryptography dependencies across banks, agencies, and vendors and no visible cutover calendar.


  3. Treat health data as a sovereign asset with clear commercial pathways.

    Action. Establish health data trusts with granular consent, pricing, and feedback to citizens. Align payer incentives with prevention not procedures.

    Example. Combine a city health exchange model like NABIDH with the Emirati Genome Programme consent framework. Permit approved startups to train in secure enclaves and route value back to citizens through premiums or shared intellectual property. [R10] [R11] [R12]

    Gap observed. The science was strong but the mechanisms for consent, pricing, payer alignment, and citizen dividends were not spelled out.


  4. Design for dual use space infrastructure.

    Action. Productize Earth observation risk feeds precision timing and resilient communications as paid APIs for finance shipping agriculture and energy.

    Example. Offer seasonal flood and heat stress overlays for warehouse finance and labor scheduling in the Gulf. Adjust premiums dynamically and write a resilience score into loan covenants. Use the credibility of UAE space programs and the city climate infrastructure pipeline. [R13] [R17] [R18]

    Gap observed. Space and climate sessions did not converge into a single product blueprint that turns Earth observation into insurance and credit terms for small firms.


  5. Institutionalize living regulation.

    Action. Move from static policy documents to rules with telemetry. Build sandbox charters adaptive thresholds and automatic review triggers.

    Example. Dubai runs a convene to codify to deploy rhythm across AI Retreat and AI Week with Government Media Office confirmation. Replicate this cadence inside your consortium with quarterly policy sprints and public scorecards. [R5] [R6] [R25]

    Gap observed. Sandboxes were praised but no named owner was responsible for policy telemetry and for initiating rule reviews on fixed dates.



Field notes from inside the summit with practical examples;


  1. Space and human limits.

    Scott Kelly reframed space through the lens of endurance and mission operations.

    Example. Use the same logic for extreme heat labor policy at home. Shift schedules algorithmically, track hydration telemetry, and invest in shaded micro infrastructure. Combine with satellite heat maps to protect crews and productivity. [R1] [R17]


  2. Black holes humility and policy.

    Brian Cox used cosmology to argue for epistemic humility. Good policy updates when evidence updates.

    Example. In your AI marketplace terms, add pre commitment clauses and kill switches so managers can roll back a model version without legal paralysis when safety evidence changes. [R26]


  3. Agentic marketing with grown ups in the loop.

    Brand and fintech leaders showed enthusiasm for agent commerce with human oversight.

    Example. In a travel marketplace verified agents can book on behalf of a user up to a budget. Funds sit in escrow. A cooling off window and complete action logs backstop human arbitration for disputes. Use Agent Pay style controls for settlement and audit. [R20]


  4. Legal systems that learn.

    Dr Abir Haddad argued for legal architectures that update like software. Dubai is building state capacity to support that.

    Example. Publish machine readable laws with versioning. Require every government technology vendor to subscribe and to test against diffs. Run a monthly red team on unintended consequences. See the UAE AI lawmaking initiative. [R7]


  5. Narrative as a strategic weapon.

    Kevin J Anderson reminded the room that stories mobilize capital and talent faster than memos.

    Example. Frame your marketplace as a mission with a measurable goal such as one thousand adaptive small and medium enterprises by 2027 then tie every grant and API key to milestones. [R3]




Risk Map and Counter Moves.


  1. Governance lag.

    Risk. Policy that trails deployment by two years will push citizens and small firms into gray markets.

    Counter move. Create a Regulatory Intelligence function that writes living standards for partners and tracks obligations. Follow a calendar with retreats, assemblies, and sector forums so private and public incentives stay aligned. [R5] [R6] [R25]


  2. Crypto break through harvest now and decrypt later.

    Risk. Long lived secrets are vulnerable even before postquantum computers are widespread.

    Counter move. Prioritize postquantum upgrades for archives and roots of trust. Rotate high value keys for citizen identity and major contracts before low risk edge endpoints. [R8] [R9]


  3. Longevity inequity and data backlash.

    Risk. Health innovation stalls if only elites benefit.

    Counter move. Consent rich data trusts and citizen dividends. Publish a citizen dashboard that shows where data was used and what benefits flowed back. [R10] [R11]


  4. Physical climate shocks.

    Risk. Floods or heat waves can disable digital promises and service levels.

    Counter move. Finance real infrastructure alongside software. Co invest with municipalities in solar plus storage near logistics clusters and critical facilities. Treat marketplace uptime as a civil works problem as much as a cloud problem. [R17] [R18] [R19]


  5. Space hype.

    Risk. Capital drifts to distant promises.

    Counter move. Fund only dual use assets with near term Earth revenue. For the next three years, an Earth observation driven parametric insurance product for Gulf small firms beats speculative asteroid mining. [R13]


Areas for improvement and how to fix them in the next Edition.

  1. Balance airtime across panels.

    Some headline voices dominated. Use firm time slots and active facilitation so diverse experts contribute equally.

  2. Publish session metrics within thirty days.

    Share three numbers per theme. Pilots launched, policy items drafted, and next milestones. This keeps momentum between convenings. [R5] [R6]

  3. Release a postquantum readiness checklist.

    Provide a common inventory template for cryptography dependencies and a staged cutover calendar. [R8] [R9]

  4. Standardize procurement paths for pilots.

    Offer model contracts, escrow for agent actions, and performance based incentives to scale beyond proofs of concept.

  5. Expand solution lab time.

    Allocate more working time and fewer long keynotes so attendees leave with artifacts not just notes.


Three numbers to watch in 2026

  1. Postquantum readiness.

    Percent of cryptographic keys and services that have an inventoried migration path and tested failover, reported quarterly. [R8] [R9]

  2. Healthspan access.

    Share of residents with active consent dashboards linked to NABIDH and the Emirati Genome Programme, plus reimbursement models that reward prevention. [R10] [R11] [R12]

  3. Resilience continuity.

    Hours of service preserved during heat and flood warnings across logistics clusters and essential public services, benchmarked against 2025 readiness. [R17] [R18] [R19]


War of the Ecosystems closing perspective.

I brought the operator lens that was absent in the room. War of the Ecosystems is a field manual for how cities, banks, hyperscalers, and founders win by building shared rails for data identity payments and policy. Applied to this summit, the lens shows how to connect vision to procurement markets and measurable outcomes.

For the next edition I would be glad to bring this ecosystem perspective on stage so the audience leaves with a clear operating model that is practical in Dubai and exportable globally.


Method and scope

I was in the room for plenaries and several solution labs. I validated factual claims against official sources where possible and noted when evidence comes from press coverage or institutional pages. The analysis applies a single operator lens so readers can see how to move from concept to execution. Any remaining errors are mine, and I welcome corrections from organizers and speakers.



References and Source Material

This document compiles the external links and press coverage related to the Futurists X Summit, Dubai AI Week, and key technology/infrastructure initiatives.


Official Event and Summit Coverage


Dubai Future and AI Activities


Blockchain, Cybersecurity, and Mastercard Innovation


Genetic and Health Research Initiatives


Space Exploration and Mars Missions


Renewable Energy and Climate Initiatives


These references cover all major facets related to the Futurists X Summit 2025, Dubai’s AI and future tech initiatives, blockchain and cybersecurity developments particularly Mastercard’s pioneering roles, space exploration with UAE leadership in Mars missions, genetic and health program developments in the UAE, and renewable energy and climate resilience projects.

 
 
 

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