President John Dramani Mahama has departed Accra for the United Arab Emirates to participate in the World Governments Summit (WGS) 2026, a high-level global forum scheduled to take place in Dubai. The summit will be held under the theme “Shaping Future Governments,” and is expected to convene world leaders, policymakers, and experts to discuss governance innovations and solutions to emerging global challenges.
The World Governments Summit serves as a premier platform that brings together governments, international organizations, thought leaders, and private sector leaders from across the globe. The forum aims to foster international cooperation, encourage policy innovation, and inspire the next generation of governments to adopt forward-looking and inclusive governance models.
President Mahama’s participation in the World Governments Summit 2026 is expected to reinforce Ghana’s commitment to global dialogue on governance, economic transformation, and institutional innovation, while strengthening diplomatic and development partnerships with international stakeholders
WGS 2026 is expected to feature over 400 speakers, more than 15 strategic global reports, participation from over 80 international, intergovernmental, and regional organizations, as well as 200 interactive sessions. The summit is also projected to attract more than 6,000 participants, underscoring its status as one of the world’s most influential governance gatherings.
Discussions at the summit will be anchored on five core thematic pillars: Global governance and effective leadership; societal wellbeing and capacity building; economic prosperity and emerging opportunities; urban futures and evolving demographics; and future realities and next frontiers. These themes reflect the growing need for adaptive governance systems in a rapidly changing global landscape.
Several high-profile global leaders and institutional heads are expected to participate in the summit. Among them are President of the Swiss Confederation, Guy Parmelin; Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez; President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio; President of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Toshiyuki Onuma; Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Kristalina Georgieva; Managing Director of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Makhtar Diop; and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of IBM, Arvind Krishna.
Keynote addresses will be delivered by senior economic and governance leaders, including H.E. Dr. Abdelhakim Shibli, Minister of Finance of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan; H.E. Taif Mohammed, Finance Minister; H.E. Hamad Al-Hajri, Director of International Cooperation and Financial Agreements at the Government of Qatar; and Rodrigo Valdes, Director at the International Monetary Fund.
The summit will also feature renowned global intellectuals and experts, including Aaron Ciechanover, the 2004 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry from the Technion–Israel Institute of Technology, and Adam Riess, the 2011 Nobel Laureate in Physics from Johns Hopkins University. Also expected is Abdulla Naser Lootah, UAE Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Competitiveness and Experience Exchange, and Abdullah Sultan Bin Awad Al Nuaimi, UAE Minister of Justice and President of the Federal Judicial Council.
In 2025, the World Governments Summit brought together nearly 700 public and private sector leaders and global experts to deliberate on some of humanity’s most pressing challenges, while sharing knowledge, insights, and international best practices.
The summit’s agenda featured 22 global forums examining major future trends and transformations, alongside more than 200 interactive sessions and over 30 ministerial meetings and high-level roundtables, which collectively drew participation from more than 400 ministers, reinforcing the summit’s standing as a leading global platform for governance dialogue and policy innovation.
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