10 Emerging Technologies of 2026 by Dubai Future Foundation and World Economic Forum

Dubai Future Foundation, in collaboration with the World Economic Forum, has launched the “Top 10 Emerging Technologies of 2026” report, an annual publication that identifies the most promising technologies expected to deliver significant impact across economies, industries, and societies in the years ahead.

Technologies were selected based on three core criteria: novelty, transformative potential, and their expected contribution to building a more prosperous and sustainable future.

The report identifies ten technologies with the potential to deliver transformative impact: Everything-to-Grid Energy; Direct Lithium Extraction; Passive Radiative Cooling Materials; PFAS Destruction Technologies; Precision Fermentation Micro-Factories for Food, Medicine and Materials; Exosome Drug Delivery; Personalised mRNA Cancer Vaccines; Quantum Simulation for Drug Discovery; World Models in Artificial Intelligence; and Lattice-Based Cryptography.

The report was launched alongside the participation of the UAE delegation in the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2026, commonly known as “Summer Davos”, taking place in Dalian, China, from June 23-25, 2026. 

His Excellency Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees and Managing Director of Dubai Future Foundation, and Chairman of the Museum of the Future, said, “International collaboration in understanding and advancing emerging technologies is essential to accelerating human progress and ensuring that innovation delivers meaningful benefits for societies. It also enables governments and institutions to strengthen their competitiveness and build the capabilities needed to navigate future transformations.”

He added, “Our partnership with the World Economic Forum focuses on expanding knowledge, accelerating innovation, and identifying opportunities to harness emerging technologies in ways that positively impact people and vital sectors, including healthcare, energy, food, education, and scientific research. Keeping pace with technological change and accelerating the adoption of innovative solutions are essential drivers of sustainable development, prosperity, and improved quality of life.”

His Excellency further noted,“Emerging technologies continue to open new horizons for development and progress. They empower governments to enhance services, improve efficiency, adopt more innovative solutions, and address critical challenges across strategic sectors, ultimately creating tangible benefits for communities around the world.”

The report is designed to help governments, businesses, investors, policymakers, researchers, and innovation leaders better understand emerging technologies and assess their potential impact. It provides a forward-looking perspective on how these technologies may evolve, scale, and contribute to shaping the future.

For the second consecutive year, Dubai Future Foundation contributed to the development of the report by participating in the evaluation and selection of technologies, assessing their future impact, application potential, and role in reshaping key sectors. The World Economic Forum’s research teams led the analysis and assessment of each technology’s current maturity and future trajectory.

The full report is available at: www.dubaifuture.ae/top-10-emerging-technologies-of-2026/