The UAE reaffirmed its commitment to an inclusive digital future for children at the Fostering the Future Together summit in Washington, with Sheikha Alyazia bint Saif Al Nahyan leading the UAE delegation at the event launched by US First Lady Melania Trump.
WASHINGTON: At a global summit convened by US First Lady Melania Trump, the UAE made clear that when it comes to children’s digital futures, it intends to lead, not follow.
H.H. Sheikha Alyazia bint Saif bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, wife of H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, represented the UAE at the Fostering the Future Together global summit held in Washington on March 24 and 25, 2026. She led a delegation that included Minister of State Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, Core42 CEO Talal Al Kaissi, and Base71 CEO Noureddin Hadi.
The summit, launched by First Lady Melania Trump, brought together leaders from 45 countries and representatives of 28 major technology companies to build an international coalition focused on safeguarding children’s wellbeing and expanding their access to digital opportunities through education and technology.
In her remarks, Sheikha Alyazia conveyed greetings from H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Mother of the Nation, and commended First Lady Trump for her continued support of the initiative. She stressed that technology must be guided as a force for good and a tool of empowerment, rather than an end in itself. “The shape of societies in the coming decades will depend on how effectively children are placed at the centre of education policies and technological innovation,” she said.
Sheikha Alyazia highlighted the UAE’s designation of 2026 as the Year of the Family, noting that building children’s futures in the digital age begins with empowering families as the primary source of values and awareness. It is families, she argued, who provide the foundation for balancing technological openness with cultural identity.
She outlined three principles the UAE believes must underpin the global digital future for children: equitable access to digital knowledge, the development of skills such as critical thinking and creativity, and stronger public-private partnerships to keep technology firmly in the service of people.
The UAE’s participation also reflected its deepening strategic partnership with the United States in the fields of innovation, education, and technology, and its commitment to a global model that puts people, particularly children, at its centre.
In a world racing to integrate AI into every aspect of life, the UAE’s message in Washington was a timely one: the technology we build today will shape the generation growing up alongside it. Getting that right is not optional. It is everything.
