First Virtual Session Of ‘Digital Next Leadership Series’ To Kick Off With Discussions On ‘Government Of The Future’

The first session of the virtual ‘Digital Next Leadership Series’ is officially kicking off in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, June 23, 2021, under the theme ‘Government of the Future.’ Top global delegates, VIPs, and renowned experts will convene online for the inaugural session of the high-level leadership forum.

The ‘Digital Next Leadership Series’ sessions are being held in the lead up to the 2^nd edition of the Digital Next Summit, which will take place on February 22^nd-23^rd2022, at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The powerful global summit, which will explore the future of digital transformation, will be hosted by the Department of Government Support(DGS) represented by the Abu Dhabi Digital Authority (ADDA) and organized by Messe Frankfurt Middle East.

The first virtual leadership series session features panel discussions and presentations led by renowned experts and thought leaders from the UAE, Estonia and Singapore. During the event, an elite line-up of panellists will share their insights into government innovation in the next five years, as well as evaluate the culture of innovation in the government sector.

The regional and global guest speakers will also point to the role of emerging technologies in transforming government services and the importance of government and private sector collaboration. Furthermore, they will examine the progress of government digital transformation endeavours and how these initiatives are impacting the quality of government services, customer happiness and customer experience.

For his part, H.E. Dr. Mohamed AbdelHameed Al Askar, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Digital Authority (ADDA), said: “The virtual ‘Digital Next Leadership Series’ will set the stage for more in-depth discussions leading up to the Digital Next Summit in 2022. What better way to begin our exchange of insights and analyses than to talk about the ‘Government of the Future,’ the theme of the first session. During this event, we will take a closer look into the power of digital technologies in terms of enabling the government of the future, re-shaping our society, and meeting our upcoming needs as a global community.”

Al Askar added: “Through government innovation, supported by robust public-private partnerships (PPP), we can build a future-proof ecosystem. The first virtual session of the ‘Digital Next Leadership Series’ is an ideal opportunity to come up with innovative solutions in line with the current and future requirements of governments, businesses and societies.”

Speakers at the first session will include H.E. Rashed Abdulkarim Al Blooshi, Undersecretary of Department of Economic Development – Abu Dhabi,H.E. Dr. Mohamed AbdelHameed Al Askar, Director General, ADDA;H.E. Mohammed Bin Taliah, Chief of Government Services of the UAE Government at the Prime Minister’s Office;;  H.E. Nele Leosk, Ambassador of Digital Affair, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia; and H.E. Chan Cheow Hoe, Government Chief Digital Technology Officer, Smart Nation and Digital Government Office, Singapore and Sayed Hashish, Regional General Manager, Microsoft UAE.

The panel discussion will be moderated by Fady Kassatly, Partner – Advisory, Digital and Innovation Group Leader,KPMG.

To be hosted from June to December 2021, the ‘Digital Next Leadership Series’ will provide exclusive and engaging content on the key pillars of government digital transformation initiatives. The topics are selected based on the Digital Next Summit’s content pillars of Gx Next, Data Next, Technology Next, and Cyber Next.

The Leadership Series will also provide an opportunity for delegates to networking via online chats and video calls and also explore the innovative products and solutions showcased by our online exhibitors.

Interested parties can register at https://bit.ly/3gr8tL9 to join the first session of the ‘Digital Next Leadership Series.’