Global Citizen Forum and Ras Al Khaimah to Welcome The World’s Leading Minds
Acclaimed GCF Annual Summit returns in November 2022, anchoring its mission in Ras Al Khaimah over the next three years to help build a sustainable future
Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, and in partnership with the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA), the Global Citizen Forum’s Annual Summit trilogy returns in November 2022 with another exceptionally curated program aimed to bridge the world’s most pressing challenges with opportunities for global solutions.
Last year’s edition brought together over 400 honorable guests from 38 countries, including actress, philanthropist, entrepreneur, and GCF Awardee, Eva Longoria; President of Colombia, H.E. Iván Duque Márquez; Vice President of Liberia, H.E. Jewel Taylor; former Prime Minister of Italy, Matteo Renzi; Grammy-nominated singer and performer, Nicole Scherzinger; international DJ and producer, Afrojack; and former FBI hostage negotiator and Masterclass coach, Chris Voss.
While the GCF’s Annual Summit was originally known for being hosted in different parts of the world, the decision to anchor its mission in Ras Al Khaimah was an intuitive commitment to both leverage and contribute to the emirate’s regional and global impact, while maintaining a strong focus on building a lasting legacy within its diverse community.
“Hosting the Global Citizen Forum’s Annual Summit for the next three years is a crucial step in our tourism vision for a globally connected and sustainable future,” shares Raki Phillips, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority. “Ras Al Khaimah is the perfect backdrop for the Summit given its outlook on environmental, cultural and economic sustainability — a vision that we call Balanced Tourism.”
“It is a pivotal time in history where igniting human potential on a global scale is the key to solving some of the biggest challenges,” shares Talimka Yordanova, CEO of Global Citizen Forum. “Ras Al Khaimah is not just a place, it’s a journey — and we look forward to marking the start of such a powerful movement where the commitment to build a sustainable world is embedded within the region’s DNA.”
Renowned for its outstanding nature, adventurous leisure, and authentic offerings, Ras Al Khaimah — the northernmost Emirate in the UAE, boasts an extraordinary history dating back over seven millennia and has quickly become one of the most sought-after sustainable destinations in the Middle East.
Marking the next chapter in its tourism expansion, RAKTDA recently unveiled a new campaign that uses integrated social media platforms to follow a group of influencers as they discover the Emirate. In collaboration with renowned content creators from Europe and the Middle East, the digital-first campaign showcases the diversity of Ras Al Khaimah and a myriad of tourism experiences across its pristine beaches, lush mangroves, sprawling deserts and majestic mountains.
“Our vision of the next generation is in line with RAKTDA’s mission to create a positive impact on a global scale,” says Founder and Chairman of GCF, Armand Arton. “GCF holds an immense untapped power for global changemakers to connect and empower the next great idea that will build a promising future.”
Since its inception in 2013, the Global Citizen Forum has built a global network of leaders, visionaries, and catalyzers with a common mission to unlock the potential of global citizenship and empower a world rooted in the freedom of sustainable human mobility.
Previous editions of GCF’s Annual Summit have featured the late Kofi Annan, José Manuel Barroso, Irina Bokova, Kristalina Georgieva, Duško Marković, Jeanette Kagame, Gaston Browne, Robert De Niro, Wyclef Jean, Akon, EVE, and many more.