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 2nd edition of the Digital Next Summit, which will take place on February 22nd -23rd 2022, 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 Abdul karim 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 from the link to join the first session of the ‘Digital Next Leadership Series.’ -ends- About Abu Dhabi Digital Authority (ADDA) Abu Dhabi Digital Authority is leading the digital future of Abu Dhabi by supporting our government partners to deliver services and build ecosystems, that enrich quality of life and multiply opportunities for business and personal growth.
ADDA supports Abu Dhabi’s digital transformation through strategies, policies, standards and enterprise architecture for increased government performance. In addition, ADDA delivers digital services, platforms and channels, and implement applied intelligence, shared government and cybersecurity solutions for government entities.
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Background information on Messe Frankfurt Messe Frankfurt is the world’s largest trade fair, congress and event organiser with its own exhibition grounds. The Messe Frankfurt Group employs around 2,500* people in a total of 30 subsidiaries. The company generated annual sales of approximately €250* million in 2020 after having recorded sales of €738 million the previous year.
Even in difficult times caused by the coronavirus pandemic, we are globally networked with our industry sectors. We have close ties with our industry sectors and serve our customers’ business interests efficiently within the framework of our Fairs & Events, Locations and Services business fields. One of the Group’s key USPs is its closely knit global sales network, which extends throughout the world.
Our comprehensive range of services – both onsite and online – ensures that customers worldwide enjoy consistently high quality and flexibility when planning, organising and running their events. We are expanding our digital expertise with new business models. The wide range of services includes renting exhibition grounds, trade fair construction and marketing, personnel and food services. Headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, the company is owned by the City of Frankfurt (60 percent) and the State of Hesse (40 percent). For more information, please visit our website
* preliminary figures 2020