1 Billion Followers Summit announces 4th edition

The 1 Billion Followers Summit, the world’s largest summit dedicated to the creators economy, has concluded its preparatory meetings defining the agenda and activities for its fourth edition. The summit, organised by the UAE Government Media Office, reinforces the UAE’s position as a global hub for positive content creation and growth in the digital economy.

The Summit has announced the launch of the world’s largest prize for AI-generated films, valued at US$1 million, in addition to a range of initiatives and a packed agenda featuring a roster of speakers with a combined following of over 3 billion followers.

The fourth edition of the 1 Billion Followers Summit will be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, from 9th to 11th January 2026 in Dubai, across Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Dubai International Financial Centre, and the Museum of the Future, under the theme “Content for Good.”

Spanning five days of interactive discussions, the preparatory meetings brought together CEOs of leading social media platforms, industry experts, and digital media companies, alongside some of the world’s most prominent content creators and entrepreneurs.

Participants explored ways to enhance the summit’s media presence, strategies for storytelling and purposeful content creation, and discussed technological trends, shifts in the creators economy, intellectual property tools, artificial intelligence, and methods of combating misinformation.

The meetings covered a wide range of topics related to the future of content creation, emerging industry trends, innovation tools, and methods of creating and promoting content.

They featured interactive debates on monetisation strategies, the future direction of social media platforms, building cross-border partnerships between content creators and creative companies, keeping pace with the rapid transformations in digital media, and expanding collaboration networks among content creators, platforms, startups, and major technology firms to explore opportunities for developing new tools that support useful content creation and open new horizons for the content economy regionally and globally.

Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, affirmed that His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid has supported and nurtured the media and content creation sector throughout his 30 years of leadership and development.

He stated, “The content economy is an economic power with limitless horizons. Today, the UAE is not only keeping pace with its developments but is also leading and charting new directions within that economy,” reiterating that the launch of the world’s largest prize for AI-generated films in partnership with Google Gemini positively reinforces the UAE’s role in the content economy.

During the preparatory meetings, the Summit announced the launch of the world’s largest prize for AI-generated films, valued at US$1 million, in collaboration with Google Gemini. The winning film will be honoured, and the top 10 competing films will be showcased during the fourth edition of the summit.

The Summit aims to support and encourage the production of purposeful films using diverse AI tools, raise awareness of the humanitarian messages such films should convey, and enhance creative capabilities, aesthetic vision, and advanced skills in integrating AI into film production. Short films, now one of the most widespread and effective mediums for delivering meaningful and impactful messages to audiences, will be central to this initiative.

The prize requires that the film be entirely generated using AI, with creativity and realism as essential criteria. The judging process will be based on storytelling, creativity, integration of AI, execution, and alignment with the theme in delivering a humanitarian message. More details will be shared during September, to kick off the launch of the competition.

The agenda of the fourth edition features a significant expansion in interactive sessions and international partnerships, offering greater opportunities for content creators to innovate useful and impactful works. This aligns with the UAE’s mission to empower creators by providing an enabling environment that allows them to grow and expand globally.

WAM