Dubai: Dubai Future Academy, an initiative of the Dubai Future Foundation (DFF), has announced the opening of applications for the second edition of 'FEEL: A Disruptive Futures Programme'. This programme is designed to train local and global talent to navigate disruption and enhance future readiness.
According to Emirates News Agency, the programme equips executives, entrepreneurs, policymakers, investors, and experts with the tools to anticipate and harness transformative changes. Applications are open until 31st July 2025, and interested individuals can apply via DFF's website: https://www.dubaifuture.ae/feel/apply.
The four-week programme, delivered by global experts, starts on 20th October 2025 and offers participants exclusive immersion into Dubai's innovation ecosystem. This includes interactive workshops, strategic field visits, collaborative projects, and networking opportunities with global experts and decision-makers.
The initiative offers a comprehensive educational and training experience to develop a new generation of visionary leadership talent. It equips participants with the skills to anticipate future trends, opportunities, and innovations, engaging them in practical experiences and empowering them to keep pace with global trends in innovation, advanced technologies, and foresight.
The first edition of the programme in 2024 attracted nearly 1,500 applications from around 100 countries, with 42 participants from 15 nations selected. Participants engaged in 33 interactive workshops, hands-on experiences, and discussion sessions.
Abdulaziz AlJaziri, Deputy CEO and Chief Operations Officer at DFF, stated that the programme helps participants keep pace with rapid transformations across all sectors driven by advances in technology and innovation. The programme aims to develop skilled talent who can identify early signals of change, anticipate impacts, and seize emerging opportunities.
He added that the second edition focuses on uncovering future opportunities, highlighting investment prospects, and transforming them into tangible realities. This contributes to prosperity, sustainable development, and enriching human capital with agile expertise and advanced foresight.
Participants will have direct engagement with globally acclaimed experts and specialists, providing opportunities to interact closely with pioneering thought leaders in fields such as robotics, autonomous vehicles, futures foresight, critical thinking, longevity and health optimisation, future and lab-grown foods, and AI chip development.
The list of experts includes Professor Oussama Khatib from Stanford University, Professor Sohail Inayatullah from Tamkang University, Alyaa Al Mulla, Dr. Steven Novella from Yale School of Medicine, Dr. Brad Stanfield from the University of Auckland, David Bucca of Change Foods, Guillaume Verdon of Extropic, Professor Paul Newman of the Oxford Robotics Institute, and Dr. Mohammed Qassem and Dr. Heba Shehadeh from the Dubai Future Foundation.
Participants will also benefit from strategic visits to key innovation hubs, including the Technology Innovation Institute, Micropolis, the autonomous vehicle manufacturer, the Sustainability and Innovation Centre at the Mohammed bin Rashid Solar Park, Dubai Future Labs, and other prominent locations.