A senior official from the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday called for joint efforts to advocate for the next generation of the internet to be a collaboration mechanism, as well as an ecosystem that pushes for tolerance and the use of open, standard protocols.

"We cannot speak about the future without thinking about tolerance, openness and a future that includes everyone," UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, said.

The minister made the remarks during the 2022 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit, on Wednesday.

As the world is entering a new era for the development of the internet, there are new opportunities in the metaverse, Web 3.0 and others. Meanwhile, there are certain risks of technological hegemony, new vulnerabilities, the use of these tools with malicious intent, political risk and the risk of bullying or harassment, he added.

Against that backdrop, he called for joint efforts to advocate for the next evolution of the internet to be a collaborative tool.

When it comes to the development of the UAE, he said the country has been a global epicenter of trade, linking the East and the West for many years. He added that, being a country that thrives on globalization, it will continue with this mindset and ensure that the future is built on cooperation as well as trade, commerce and thriving economies.

As of today, the UAE is a nation of 10 million people that has a 100 percent internet penetration rate. Residents, on average, spend around eight and a half hours using the internet every day.

The minister believes that the future will be dependent, to a large degree, on digital and internet connectivity.

In 2017, the UAE created a national strategy for artificial intelligence, which aims to make the country one of the leading players in the sector. In 2018, it launched a blockchain strategy aimed at encouraging government use of blockchain technology and decentralized ledgers to improve transparency and security.

The minister said that, recently, the country has looked to the metaverse and introduced a new concept of measurement that it is considering, which is the gross metaverse product.

"We want to ensure that the future is a digital one, which connects us all. We want to build a community that has a shared future for all of us in cyberspace."

Looking into the next decade, he said that humankind will have its tolerance tested. "We have to trust that many great nations, including the People's Republic of China, are going to ensure that this future is one that we talk about for years and decades to come.

"The more we work with each other and focus on building a global community that works as one uniform team to eradicate disease, poverty, climate change and inequality, the better life is going to be for all of us living in this global community," he said.

Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications