Megatrends Economic Foresight: Dubai 2033

A Middle Eastern government entity, the Dubai Future Foundation, engaged our team to develop a comprehensive economic foresight framework focused on identifying and analyzing megatrends that would shape Dubai's economy through 2033. As the strategic planning arm of the Government of Dubai, the Foundation sought to align economic, social, and climate initiatives with emerging global opportunities.

Project Brief

The client sought to establish a data-driven approach for identifying and prioritizing strategic initiatives over a 10-year horizon. The project aimed to create an actionable roadmap of economic opportunities while considering social and environmental impacts. This strategic foresight exercise was designed to inform policy decisions and government investments across multiple sectors of Dubai's economy.

Our Approach

We implemented a multi-phase methodology combining quantitative trend analysis with qualitative expert insights. The process began with extensive desk research covering 25 diverse reports and over 50 additional sources, yielding more than 1,200 signals and factoids. Our systematic approach involved signal scanning, trend synthesis, and opportunity mapping. Using proprietary frameworks, we distilled these inputs into 52 consolidated trends, which were further refined through collaborative workshops to identify prime opportunities for government action.

Internal Workshops

The engagement featured intensive co-creation workshops with cross-departmental participation from various government entities. Workshop activities included trend validation, opportunity assessment, and initiative prioritization exercises. Participants used customized evaluation frameworks to score and rank potential initiatives, ensuring alignment with Dubai's strategic vision while maintaining practical feasibility for implementation.

Key Discoveries and Client Impact

The project delivered 25 high-potential opportunities and 10 detailed initiative cards ready for government implementation. Each initiative was comprehensively documented with actionable details, resource requirements, and expected outcomes. The final deliverable included a sustainable methodology for ongoing trend monitoring and initiative development, enabling the client team to independently update and expand upon the framework in subsequent years. This self-sustaining approach ensures long-term value beyond the initial engagement.