Dubai hosts World Laureates Summit 2026 as Nobel minds shape the future
Vision 2050 paper and rankings unveiled during summit
DUBAI – The World Laureates Summit officially opened today in Dubai, bringing together more than 150 scientists and invited participants, including Nobel Prize laureates and recipients of the world’s most prestigious scientific awards.
Held alongside the World Governments Summit 2026, the gathering brings leading scientific minds into direct dialogue with policymakers, reinforcing the central role of basic science in addressing the world’s most complex challenges.
Organised in partnership between the World Governments Summit (WGS) and the World Laureates Association (WLA), the Summit is among the largest and most distinguished scientific assemblies globally. Participants include winners of the Nobel Prize, Turing Award, Wolf Prize, Lasker Award, Fields Medal, Breakthrough Prize, and other major international honours, alongside leaders of research institutions and senior government officials from across continents.
World Laureates Summit
The Summit is centred on the theme “Basic Sciences: Scientific Consensus for Addressing the Challenges of Humanity,” highlighting the need for evidence-based decision-making as nations navigate technological, economic, and societal transformation. Discussions focus on how foundational research underpins innovation, global governance, and sustainable development.
Key subject areas include artificial intelligence and machine learning, quantum sciences and nanotechnology, biotechnology and genomics, data science and cryptography, neurotechnology and brain sciences, as well as energy systems and advanced materials. These fields are examined through the lens of long-term global cooperation rather than short policy cycles.
Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications and Vice Chairman of the World Governments Summit Foundation, said hosting the Summit alongside WGS reflects the UAE leadership’s belief that science and knowledge are among the most powerful drivers for building a better future. He noted that bringing scientists together with policymakers aims to translate scientific insight into action and ensure global governance is guided by rigorous scientific thinking.
Nobel voices
Professor Roger D. Kornberg, Chairman of the World Laureates Association and Nobel Laureate in Chemistry (2006), said the Summit highlights the interdependence of science and policy. He stressed that global decision-making cannot advance effectively without strong scientific foundations, while scientific progress itself requires supportive political frameworks.
He said the UAE’s commitment to hosting such a forum reflects foresight in recognising the role of basic science in shaping humanity’s future, adding that the Summit offers scientists a rare opportunity to contribute directly to long-term thinking on civilisation, prosperity, and human progress.
Vision 2050
During the Summit, the World Laureates Association is presenting a white paper titled “Vision 2050 for a Scientific Civilisation.” Released at a time when artificial intelligence is reshaping knowledge creation and accelerating advances in energy and health, the paper outlines a framework for a scientific civilisation that can be continuously examined, debated, and validated by the global community.
The Association is also launching three annual flagship initiatives: a global university ranking, a science cities ranking, and an annual review of scientific developments. These initiatives aim to map where new knowledge is created and how it evolves across regions and disciplines.
Forum agenda
Day One features the Opening Ceremony and the Mobius Forum, including the AI Science Forum, Transformational Technologies Forum, New Energy Forum, and Scientific Discovery Forum. Subsequent days will host nine specialised forums covering brain sciences, genomics, life sciences, physics, university leadership, hospital leadership, blockchain and science, carbon materials, and nuclear physics.
The Summit will conclude with the Young Scientists Forum and joint sessions with the World Governments Summit, bringing scientists together with heads of state, ministers, and leaders of international organisations.
Global participation
Among the participating laureates and speakers are Professor Omar Yaghi (Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2025; Wolf Prize 2018), Professor Joel Mokyr (Nobel Prize in Economics 2025), Dr John Clauser (Nobel Prize in Physics 2022), Professor David W.C. MacMillan (Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2021), Professor Ardem Patapoutian (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2021), and Professor Gregg L. Semenza (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2019).
University presidents and chancellors from leading institutions across Europe, North America, Asia, and the Middle East are attending the Summit, alongside members of the World Laureates Association, which brings together 187 distinguished scientists, including 78 Nobel laureates. The Association represents disciplines ranging from chemistry and physics to medicine, economics, and computer science, with members affiliated with research institutions in more than 25 countries.