ECSSR, AGDA announce 2nd edition of annual Hili Forum 2025 on September 8-9

The Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR), in collaboration with the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA), has announced the second edition of the Hili Forum, which will be held on September 8-9, 2025 at the St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort in Abu Dhabi.

Building on the success of its inaugural edition, the Hili Forum 2025 will convene under the theme “Global Reset: Trade, Tech and Governance.” The event aims to enrich strategic dialogue in the UAE, provide research-driven insights, and shape understanding of the global environment as geopolitical, economic, and technological transformations continue to accelerate. To amplify its reach and ensure broad engagement with regional and international audiences, the Etihad News Centre has been named the Strategic Media Partner for this year’s edition.

The Forum will bring together senior officials, policymakers, diplomats, experts, and thought leaders from the UAE and around the world to exchange perspectives on critical global issues and their future trajectories. Building on the pillars introduced in the inaugural edition, discussions will be structured around three core dimensions that provide a framework for analysing international transformations and their impact on states and global relations.

The first of these, geopolitics, will examine intensifying competition among major powers, the growing influence of middle powers, and the opportunities emerging from an increasingly multipolar world. The second, geoeconomics, will explore shifts in the global economy amid rising protectionism and fragmentation, while highlighting opportunities for innovation and strategic positioning. Third, geotechnology, will assess the impact of transformative technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and robotics on global power, national security, economic competitiveness, and international cooperation.

The Emirates News Agency (WAM), Aletihad News Center, and IMI Media Group are the strategic media partners of the second edition of the Hili Forum, which takes its name from the Hili archaeological site in Al Ain City, a historic hub of culture, civilization, and trade dating back to the Bronze and Iron Ages.

Earlier this year, ECSSR and AGDA launched the first edition of the Hili Regional Dialogues, an international extension of the Forum, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Held on 8 July 2025 under the theme “UAE–Latin American Relations: Promising Paths,” the event was organised in partnership with the Emirates News Agency (WAM).

The Forum attracts diverse segments of society, stakeholders, and students to take part in its sessions and strategic dialogues, offering them the opportunity to engage, contribute, and help shape a more stable and cooperative future.