Dubai Future Foundation Unveils Speakers for Five TED Talks at Dubai Future Week’s Big Stage

Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) has announced the lineup for five TED Talks that will be held on the opening day of The Big Stage, one of eight main concepts at Dubai Future Week.

Running from November 18 to 21, 2026, the event will bring together leading international thinkers and experts to explore the transformations shaping the future of humankind and key sectors over the coming decades.

The TED program will open with a session titled “What if AI Worked Only for You?” featuring Tom Gruber, the American computer scientist, inventor and entrepreneur best known as the co-founder and developer of Siri, the intelligent virtual assistant later acquired by Apple.

The second session, “How to Design an Immune System for Buildings,” will feature American scientist and engineer Jessica Green, who will explore the relationship between microbes, human health and the built environment. Her approach focuses on equipping buildings with immune systems capable of detecting what is in the air and neutralizing airborne pathogens when needed.

Next, “The Future of Humankind and Our Entanglement with Technology” will feature Danny Hillis, the renowned American inventor, computer scientist and entrepreneur behind the design of the 10,000-Year Clock. Hillis will explore how to strengthen meaning, creativity and trust in an increasingly complex world.

The fourth session, “Why We Need to Think Outside the Box,” will feature Ma Yansong, the world-renowned Chinese architect and founder of MAD Architects. Known for his futuristic, nature-inspired approach to architecture and urban design, Yansong will tackle a compelling question: What will the organic city look like?

The fifth and final session, “Turning Inspiration into Innovation,” will feature Abdulla Al Zarouni of Dubai Future Foundation. He will examine whether the future belongs to those with the best ideas or to those who create the right conditions for those ideas to succeed, particularly as AI continues to accelerate innovation.

While the five TED Talks will take place on the opening day, The Big Stage will host sessions at the Museum of the Future Auditorium throughout the four-day event.

Additional sessions throughout Dubai Future Week will address a wide range of future-focused topics across the event’s five main tracks: How We’ll Live, How We’ll Think, How We’ll Innovate, How We’ll Feel and How We’ll Do Business.

The Big Stage is one of eight main concepts at Dubai Future Week, held under the theme “For the Human of the Future.”

The event is expected to welcome more than 10,000 participants, including experts, inventors, innovators, investors, policymakers, entrepreneurs and specialists from a range of future-focused sectors.