First ‘Creators Competition: X Originals’ announced in Dubai

Creators HQ; the first content creator hub in the UAE and the Middle East and part of Visioneers, and the global social media platform X, announced Creators Competition: X Originals, the world’s first-of-its-kind competition, in partnership with X Originals, an initiative first unveiled during the third edition of the 1 Billion Followers Summit, which concluded in Dubai last January.

The announcement was made at the 1 Billion Followers Summit, the world’s largest event dedicated to shaping the content creator economy, organised by the UAE Government Media Office, and hosted in the UAE.

The competition aims to produce new exclusive, original, high value global content on X, in collaboration with its popular X Originals entertainment collection.

Participants must submit a creative, original concept for a video between 7 to 20 minutes in one of five categories: Sports, Travel & Culture, Gaming & Tech, Lifestyle, and Philanthropy, ensuring that all submissions comply with Creators HQ’s content standards and X’s community guidelines.

The competition seeks to discover and support rising talent with a total prize pool of $500,000, offered by Creators HQ.

Five winners will receive support and access to advanced equipment, studios, and tools to develop their video content - valued at $100,000 per winner.

The Creators Competition: X Originals, is a significant addition to the global digital creativity landscape and reflects the UAE’s steadfast commitment to empowering creative content creators to produce purposeful, high value content, contributing to a sustainable digital economy and elevating the content industry worldwide.

The Creators Competition: X Originals, is designed to attract talented content creators from around the world across five main categories: Sports, Travel & Culture, Gaming & Tech, Lifestyle, and Philanthropy.

Applications are submitted via the official form on the Creators HQ website via https://creatorshq.com/x-originals/

A specialised jury, comprising technical experts, and prominent creators, will shortlist and evaluate entries based on multiple criteria, including creativity, originality, storytelling, relevance to the chosen category, production feasibility, and engagement/audience reach potential.

Entries must be the participants’ original ideas, and any AI-generated content submitted without disclosure will be disqualified. Participants may submit multiple ideas in different categories.

Creators HQ’s total prize pool is $500,000, to be awarded to 5 winners.

Applications opened on Friday and the submission deadline is Feb.15, 2026.

The five winners will be announced during the Holy Month of Ramadan, with each winner receiving support that includes advanced production resources, including studios, equipment, and tools, valued at up to $100,000, enabling the development of professional, creative video content. Winners will be given a 2-months period in April and May, to edit and refine their videos ahead of the final presentation. The top three winners will be announced in June 2026.

Alia AlHammadi, Vice Chairperson of the UAE Government Media Office and CEO of the 1 Billion Followers Summit, affirmed that Arab and global talent can create purposeful content that touches the hearts of millions, reinforces human values, and builds bridges between peoples and cultures.

AlHammadi said: “The Creators Competition: X Originals marks a new step in the journey to empower creators globally, and reinforces the UAE’s position as a hub for the creative economy and a global platform for attracting top talent.”

AlHammadi added: “Through our strategic partnership with X, we aim to deliver advanced development programmes that enable creators to refine their talents and turn their creative output into innovative projects capable of competing globally. This will help us build a sustainable professional future and an integrated creative economy that ensures the continuity of purposeful content creation.”

Mitchell Smith, Global Head of Original Content at X, said: "Our partnership with Creators HQ marks a thrilling new milestone in our mission to empower creators worldwide, as we continue to extend our premium content offering with X Originals.

“The UAE is a world-leading hub for creativity and a vibrant crossroads of culture. Working in close collaboration with Creators HQ, we can provide an unparalleled environment for creators from every corner of the globe to share their stories with X's global audience.”