Nduduzo Tshuma in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has arrived here ahead of high-level discussions on future governments at the World Governments Summit on Tuesday where he will join 35 fellow heads of State.

The three-day high-level gathering, running under the theme “Shaping Future Governments,” brings together heads of State, policymakers, business leaders and innovators to deliberate on governance models suited to a rapidly changing global environment shaped by technological advancement and shifting geopolitical dynamics.

The summit, expected to attract 150 government delegations and more than 6 000 participants, concludes on Friday.

President Mnangagwa was welcomed at Al Maktoum International Airport by senior UAE government officials, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Professor Amon Murwira and Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates Mr Isaac Moyo.

According to organisers, the summit will feature a series of high-level forums focusing on artificial intelligence, education, mobility, sustainability and economic resilience.

This year’s edition will also, for the first time, host the World Laureates Summit, which will bring Nobel Prize winners and leading scientists into major global policy debates.

“Launched in the UAE with a global reach, the World Governments Summit was guided by the leadership’s vision to become a global platform where practical solutions, new ideas and impactful partnerships take shape,” Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the World Governments Summit Mohammad Al Gergawi told local media.

Speaking to journalists here on Sunday ahead of the President’s visit, Professor Murwira said the summit’s future-oriented focus resonated strongly with Zimbabwe’s development agenda.

“His Excellency the President is here as part of the broader policy of engagement and re-engagement, which has seen Zimbabwe grow its exports from approximately US$2 billion in 2017, when he assumed office, to over US$16 billion currently,” he said.

“The efforts that His Excellency is making are centred on engagements of this nature, interacting with world leaders, business leaders and political leaders, to move Zimbabwe forward and deepen its integration into the global economy, a process he is pursuing successfully.”

President Mnangagwa is also expected to hold a series of bilateral engagements with political and business leaders on the sidelines of the summit.

“He will be very busy here, engaging with various leaders, all in pursuit of our overarching national objective as outlined in Section 8, Chapter 2 of the Constitution, to ensure prosperity, happiness and fulfilling lives for all Zimbabweans through economic activity. This is the economic facilitation that His Excellency is undertaking,” said Professor Murwira.