DUBAI, 20th October, 2026 (WAM) -- Sheikha Dr. Shamma bint Mohammed bin Khalid Al Nahyan, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalid Al Nahyan Cultural and Educational Institutions, highlighted the importance of safeguarding the future for coming generations during her address on the closing day of the Forbes Middle East Sustainability Leaders Summit 2026.
She said the UAE's Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, taught that the value of what people build should not be measured by their own lifetimes, citing the ancient aflaj irrigation systems that sustained generations long after their construction.
Drawing on the UAE's pearl-diving heritage, she recalled how a diver relied on a man aboard the vessel, known as the Seeb, to pull him to safety when he tugged on a rope.
"The Seeb did not own the pearls, but he carried a responsibility: never to let go of the rope," she said, likening future generations to divers holding their breath while today's generation holds the rope.
She warned that this responsibility now extends beyond natural resources to artificial intelligence, which learns from today's data and could carry present-day values into future decades.
She cautioned that prioritising immediate returns over long-term consequences risks embedding a culture of resource depletion into the technologies that will shape the future.
Sheikha Shamma praised President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as a leader whose far-sighted vision recognises the value of the future and connects the past, present and coming generations.
She invited participants to observe 20 seconds of silence, not for those who have passed away, but for those yet to be born, particularly a child who will be born in Abu Dhabi in 2071 and inherit the consequences of today's decisions.
She urged participants to keep future generations in mind throughout the summit's discussions and recommendations, stressing their shared responsibility to protect the future.