Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has launched the Great Arab Minds initiative backed by an AED100 million ($27.2 million) fund.

The initiative will be driven by and headquartered at the Museum of the Future, the Emirates’ new global scientific landmark, with a committee of four Emirati Ministers who will develop a system to identify and highlight the extraordinary thinkers and talents that the initiative will support.

The fund will be headquartered at the Museum of the Future, the Emirates’ new global scientific landmark, and will support local and global partnerships in fostering research, development and innovation.

Great Arab Minds is the Arab world’s largest movement designed to search for exceptional talents among Arab scientists, thinkers, and innovators across key fields, aiming to highlight and celebrate leading thinkers in the region and inspire young people with their example. It will work with regional and global partners to develop and maximise the positive impact of their ideas and work. The five-year initiative will focus on fields including physics and mathematics, software and data science, economics and higher education and research.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said: "Today we launch a new project to search for 1,000 Great Arab Minds in the fields of physics and mathematics, software and data science, economics and higher education and research. Great minds built Arab civilization - today I believe we have the talent to build a better world.”

"We will accelerate the Emirates' role as an incubator for fostering Arab and global talent. We built the Museum of the Future as a global hub for scientists, thinkers and innovators - it is the ideal headquarters for a fund to develop the potential of our region's finest minds,” he added.

The Committee leading Great Arab Minds is Chaired by Mohammad Al Gergawi, President of the Museum of the Future, Minister if Cabinet Affairs, and Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of State for Advanced Technology and Chairwoman of the UAE Space Agency; Omar Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications; and Shamma Al Mazrui, Minister of Youth.

Great Arab Minds aims to search for leading Arab minds and creative talents, shed light on their achievements, and invest in their capabilities and ideas. It aims to celebrate their work and inspire young people with their example.

The fields of focus of Great Arab minds are selected based on the potential for future development in key areas of innovation to drive development and economic growth.

More details about the Great Arab Minds project will be announced over coming weeks, including information about each of the paths as well as processes for nomination and registration, a statement said. – TradeArabia News Service