DUBAI, 18th November, 2025 (WAM) -- A leading scientist from San Francisco-based biotech firm Mammoth Biosciences told the Dubai Future Forum today that the world may be less than a decade away from curing all existing genetic diseases.

Dr Trevor Martin, Co-founder and CEO of Mammoth Biosciences, said: "We are at an exciting moment in gene editing... offering a one-time cure that will reshape the healthcare system as we know it. It's revolutionary, and I truly believe that within the next ten years we could treat all genetic diseases in existence today."

He added: "This is a new way of thinking about healthcare. How do we pay for this? This is a one-time permanent cure. This could save the healthcare system immense amounts of money."

In "The Future of Coming Together: How Do the Arts Create Connection in a Changing World?", Rajat Malhotra, Co-Founder of Sole DXB, addressed social fragmentation: "There's been a global weaponisation of individualism. Being yourself and expressing yourself matters but functioning as a society matters just as much-and you can't do that alone."

In "Genomic Equity: Can Genomics Serve Everyone in the Future?", speakers highlighted that more than 80% of global genomic data comes from people of European descent. Albarah El-Khani, Senior Vice President of Operations at M42, said Abu Dhabi plans to launch a sovereign genomic data-sharing initiative in 2026 to enable secure international collaboration.

"Today we have 120 petabytes of genomic data stored as part of the Emirates Genomic Research Programme," he noted.

During "Ocean Breakthroughs: What Futures Await Beyond the Depths?", the audience heard that although two-thirds of Earth's surface is ocean, only 30% has been mapped. Dr Ulrike Pfreundt, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of rrreefs, said: "If we help nature regenerate, it helps us regenerate as well."

In "Today & Tomorrow: What Makes a Futurist?", panellists explored the evolving definition of futurism. Dr Bree Trevena, Arup's APAC Foresight Leader, said: "Being a futurist is for us about being useful, not necessarily about being right, but about helping others question their assumptions."

"Beyond the Algorithm: What Future for Arabic and Cultural Narratives in AI?" revisited Arabic contributions to global knowledge while addressing the language's underrepresentation in modern AI systems.

In "Innovation Without Borders: How Do We Unlock the Full Power of Global R&D?", Khalifa Al Qama, Director of Dubai Future Labs, said: "Technology cannot be imposed from the top by governments or emerge only from the bottom. It must be informed by ongoing dialogue with what is actually happening on the ground."

In "The Global Consumer 2035: What Are World Markets Telling Us About the Future?", experts examined how digital-native behaviours are reshaping global demand. Michael Costigan, who leads the Salesforce Futures team, said: "The children of the past decade were effectively the test case for what it means to grow up online; they built their sense of self on the internet and were monitored in ways humanity had never seen before."

In "The Frontier Within: What Have We Yet to Learn About Our Mind?", speakers addressed the deepening links between the human brain and emerging technologies. Dr Sara King, Neuroscientist, Artist, Philosopher, and Founder of MindHeart AI, cautioned: "There is a certain type of sycophantic nature that is being built into tools like ChatGPT because it wants you to return to it over and over again... it is going to tell you what it thinks you want to hear."

"The Precision Leap: Is Healthcare Ready for the Age of Anticipation?" explored how predictive diagnostics, precision technologies, and AI are transforming medicine from reactive to pre-emptive systems.

Bringing the Day 1 thematic sessions to a close, a session titled "The Legacy of Family Businesses: How Do We Foster Their Longevity & Resilience?" examined how family enterprises can adapt and thrive at a moment of generational and economic transition