Trade is being reshaped by a more uncertain global economy, as businesses and governments rethink how goods, capital and technology move across borders. From the Middle East to other major trading hubs, maintaining global connectivity increasingly depends on building systems that can absorb disruption without retreating from openness. What will it take to keep trade open, adaptable and resilient as the rules and routes of the global economy continue to shift?

What will it take to keep trade open, adaptable and resilient as the rules and routes of the global economy continue to shift?

This session was developed in collaboration with CNN.

This session was recorded at the Annual Meeting of Global Future Leaders in Dubai in October 2026.

Speakers:
Farid Belbouab, Group CEO, Gulftainer; Florence Gaub, Director, Research Division, NATO Defense College; Fahad Al Gergawi, Undersecretary, Ministry of Foreign Trade of the United Arab Emirates; Paula Hancocks; International Correspondent, CNN; Timcho Mucunski; Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of the Republic of North Macedonia; Karen E. Young, Senior Research Scholar, Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University.

To learn more about the Annual Meeting of Global Future Leaders, read here: https://events.weforum.org/en/events/annual-meeting-of-global-future-leaders-2026/home

We keep asking young people what they want. The sharper question is what they already understand that the rest of us have yet to grasp. Drawing on the World Economic Forum's Youth Pulse report, which captures the perspectives of nearly 10,000 young people across regions, this discussion explores the signals emerging from a generation growing up amid rapid change.

What might today's leaders need to unlearn to keep pace with the generation already adapting to what comes next?

Speakers: AbdelQader AlSaqqafCurator, Abu Dhabi Hub Abu Dhabi Hub; Tiffany LeeCurator, Vancouver Hub; Kacha (Shogun) MahadumrongkulCommunity Champion, Mainland Southeast AsiaGlobal Shapers; Khalid Mohammed Al NuaimiDirector of the Federal Youth AuthorityUnited Arab Emirates Government; Sakshi SharmaGlobal Shaper, Jaipur HubCenalph

This session was recorded live at the Annual Meeting of Global Future Leaders in Dubai October 2026.

Watch the livestream here: http://events.weforum.org/en/events/annual-meeting-of-global-future-leaders-2026/sessions/reading-the-youth-pulse

As organizations navigate increasing complexity, the call for authentic, purpose-driven leadership has never been stronger.

This session explores how leaders can bridge the gap between values and strategy — fostering trust, engagement, and meaningful impact in their teams and organizations.

The discussion draws on research and lived experiences to examine how authenticity enhances strategic decision-making and organizational performance.

This is the full audio from a live-streamed video session available to watch for World Economic Forum partners and digital members who can watch it here: https://toplink.weforum.org/sessions/a0WTG000001rJWz2AM/authentic-leadership-revisited-what-drives-real-impact

To become a digital member: https://www.weforum.org/join-us/individuals/

Speakers:

Rashimah Binte Rajah, Assistant Professor, University of Twente

Michael Riedl, Chief Executive Officer, Team Internet

Mershad Javan, President of EMEA, GoDigital Media Group

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