Third Edition Of Hili Forum 2026 Kicks Off In Abu Dhabi
UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM – September 07, 2026
Abu Dhabi, ( UrduPoint ) – The third edition of Hili Forum 2026 opened today in Abu Dhabi under the theme “Gulf at Crossroads: Conflict, Consequences and Course Correction.”
The forum is organized by the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR) and Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA), with participation from leading decision-makers, senior officials, diplomats, academics, and international experts.
This year’s edition occurs at a pivotal moment as the region and world experience rapid transformations reshaping regional security and the global order. The Gulf, now a strategic crossroads, sees intersections of security, energy, trade, technology, and critical corridors alongside the growing influence of its countries in shaping regional and international balances.
The forum’s agenda focuses on three main pillars: geopolitics, geoeconomics, and geotechnology.
Dr. Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President, emphasized in his special address, “Our region cannot remain indefinitely in a state of neither war nor peace. Its stability and its people’s future demand clarity of vision and direction.” He further stated that:
"What comes next cannot be based on fragile arrangements detached from international law or that undermine it. Rather, the objective must be sustainable stability governed by clear and shared rules. Achieving this requires serious de-escalation, a long-term diplomatic approach to strengthening regional stability, and a clear path regarding Iran’s nuclear program in terms of its conditions, verification mechanisms, and consequences of non-compliance."
Dr. Sultan Mohammed Al Nuaimi, Director-General of ECSSR, noted, “The reality of the crossroads lies in shifting the international response from pursuing the consequences of crises towards a vision reflecting the Gulf’s weight in the stability of the international order.” He added:
"From this perspective, Hili Forum highlights the Gulf’s role in consolidating international stability and the deep interconnection between its security and the orderly functioning of the economy and trade. It also provides a space to examine ways of translating this interconnection into more sustainable political, legal, and economic cooperation, strengthening risk assessment, and building responses proportional to those risks."
Nickolay Mladenov, Director-General of AGDA, observed, “We are living through a clear paradox: the world has never been more connected yet is simultaneously witnessing increasing fragmentation and a declining ability to resolve conflicts.” He concluded that:
"Amid these transformations, the Gulf has become one of the arenas where the features of the coming international order are being shaped and tested. The challenge facing the region is therefore not limited to enduring an age of fragmentation, …"
