Global Stratalogues Night of Collaboration and Visionary Insights with Horasis Chairman and DMCC Director of Ecosystems

The Global Stratalogues Dinner brought together an extraordinary lineup of industry leaders, visionaries, and changemakers to discuss the technologies and ideas shaping the future. Key speakers included Belal Jassoma, Director of Ecosystems at DMCC, and Frank–Jürgen Richter, Chairman of Horasis, who was the guest of honor. The dinner was held on occasion of the Horasis Asia meeting, co-hosted by DP World, alongside the Global Freight Summit at Expo City’s Dubai Exhibition Centre. Oscar Wendel, the Chairman of Global Stratalogues, opened the evening by introducing Ebba Theding, the dinner’s co-host, and welcomed long-time collaborator Belal Jassoma to give the welcoming address, acknowledging his significant efforts in fostering innovation through DMCC.

Belal Jassoma & Ebba Theding: Visionaries in Ecosystem Building

Belal Jassoma began his address by emphasizing the importance of collaboration in achieving shared goals. He praised the Global Stratalogues for uniting individuals with aligned visions and fostering groundbreaking discussions. Belal traced DMCC’s journey from a traditional commodities trading hub to a global leader in blockchain, AI, and Web3 technologies. He elaborated on DMCC’s evolution over the past decade, mainly focusing on leveraging technology to enhance trade. In 2021, DMCC launched the Crypto Centre, now home to over 600 Web3 companies, making it the region’s largest blockchain ecosystem. Similarly, creating dedicated hubs for gaming and AI exemplifies DMCC’s commitment to nurturing innovation.

One of the most exciting initiatives Belal highlighted was the Global Web3 Innovation Challenge, an annual hackathon that attracts top talent worldwide. This year, the prize pool has increased to $160,000, and 15 promising startups are participating, underscoring the growing demand for blockchain and AI-driven solutions.

Following Belal’s remarks, Ebba Theding shared her insights during a dynamic interview with Henzelene Healley of VA-Consultants, who moderated the on-stage interview. Introducing herself as the CEO of 4+ Ventures, Ebba explained her firm’s mission to co-build and invest in blockchain-powered companies. Her vision revolves around using blockchain to revolutionize collaboration and sustainability and developing next-generation infrastructure.

Ebba identified four key areas her company focuses on AI, blockchain, infrastructure, and sustainability. She emphasized the transformative potential of these technologies in reshaping industries. According to Ebba, blockchain serves as an “upgrade to the internet’s operating system,” enabling unprecedented collaboration and problem-solving opportunities.

She also spoke passionately about using gaming as a testing ground for blockchain technologies. In gaming environments, developers can safely experiment with mechanics like tokenization, ownership verification, and collaboration. These lessons can be applied to more sensitive sectors such as finance, healthcare, and land registries.

Belal and Ebba shared complementary perspectives on the future of technology and trade. Belal provided practical examples, such as using blockchain for traceability in luxury goods and tokenizing gold. With DMCC’s robust commodities infrastructure and trade finance systems like Tradeflow, Belal highlighted how blockchain is driving transparency and efficiency in global trade.

Meanwhile, Ebba focused on the promise of decentralization. She advocated for creating platforms that leverage collective intelligence, ensuring inclusivity and diverse perspectives in decision-making. Ebba noted that while regulation is essential, decentralization offers a unique opportunity to balance control with innovation.

Frank-Jürgen Richter: Championing Global Collaboration

As the guest of honor, Frank-Jürgen Richter delivered a powerful address on the role of collaboration in addressing global challenges. Representing Horasis, a global visions community, Frank shared the organization’s mission to draft actionable solutions through a multi-stakeholder approach. He praised Dubai for its forward-thinking and collaborative spirit, contrasting it with Europe’s more cautious approach to decision-making.

Frank also shared success stories from Horasis, including facilitating dialogue between unlikely collaborators and fostering partnerships across industries and borders. One memorable example was bringing together ministers from India and Pakistan, who found common ground during a Horasis meeting in Dubai. “If people leave as friends, we’ve achieved something remarkable,” Frank remarked.

The discussion naturally gravitated toward Dubai’s unique appeal as a global hub for technology and trade. Ebba expressed admiration for the UAE’s openness and ease of networking, citing the country’s proactive approach to fostering partnerships. Belal echoed these sentiments, emphasizing Dubai’s young, tech-savvy population and growing prominence in gaming and eSports.

Belal also revealed DMCC’s ongoing efforts to attract gaming companies by creating a supportive ecosystem and hosting major events. This aligns with Dubai’s broader vision to become a leader in Web3, gaming, and decentralized technologies.

See Ebba Theding interviews and Frank-Jürgen Richter: https://youtu.be/9Vb9_9vkzvE

The dinner concluded with a renewed call for collaboration. Ebba encouraged attendees to continue exchanging ideas and exploring partnerships, highlighting the importance of building ecosystems that support innovation. Frank extended an invitation to join the Horasis Asia Meeting, promising more opportunities for cross-sector brainstorming.

The evening underscored the power of shared vision and collaboration in shaping the future. With leaders like Belal Jassoma, Ebba Theding, and Frank Richter at the helm, the Global Stratalogues dinner demonstrated how Dubai is not just keeping pace with global innovation but setting the stage for transformative change.

As the plates cleared and conversations deepened, the dinner left attendees inspired to reimagine possibilities and work together to solve the world’s most pressing challenges. The event was a testament to the belief that when visionary minds come together, the future is not only brighter—it is boundless.

Henzelene Healley interviews Belal Jassoma of DMCC and Ebba Theding of 4+ Ventures: https://youtu.be/Ay_XdAFTrg4

About Global Stratalogues

The Global Stratalogues is an exclusive series of high-level, closed-door roundtables and dinners that convene policymakers, private sector leaders, and academic experts from diverse disciplines in a think tank-style environment. These non-commercial gatherings unite some of the world’s most innovative and influential figures across industries and geographies to explore groundbreaking research, harness cutting-edge technology, and shape forward-thinking policies.

The next Global Stratalogues roundtables and dinners are confirmed to take place at the House of Lords, UK Parliament, from January 13 to 15. The theme, “Technology and Design: Unlocking Human Potential Across Physical and Digital Realms,” will spotlight global leaders in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and neurotechnology.