Dubai: Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the fourth edition of the 1 Billion Followers Summit 2026, the world’s largest event dedicated to shaping the content creator economy, will commence tomorrow in Dubai. The Summit, organised by the UAE Government Media Office, will be hosted at Emirates Towers, DIFC and the Museum of the Future under the theme ‘Content for Good’.
According to Emirates News Agency, the Summit is expected to draw an attendance of over 30,000, featuring more than 15,000 top Arab and global creators and influencers. It will also host over 500 speakers, whose combined audience reaches 3.5 billion followers, and over 150 CEOs and global experts. The event will provide a platform for sharing expertise, addressing industry challenges, and collectively shaping the future of digital media.
The Summit will feature over 580 sessions, including keynote addresses, roundtables, fireside chats, workshops, and debates across three main tracks: Economy, Content, and Technology. These tracks will bring together experts from global and regional technology and digital media firms, and influential content creators to discuss the latest trends and best practices in digital media, business, economy, investment, and content creation.
Mohammad Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, noted that the Summit underscores the UAE’s status as a global media hub and a creative ecosystem for innovative ventures. He emphasized the country’s dedication to ensuring each edition of the event results in impactful initiatives and positive content that benefits communities and enhances lives.
The Summit will focus on two key pillars: impact creation through ‘Content for Good’ and integrating AI tools into content creation. The first pillar will see the launch of the “1 Billion Acts of Kindness” campaign, led by MrBeast in collaboration with Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives and the Varkey Foundation. Additionally, TikTok will introduce the world’s first Educators Award, recognizing top education creators.
The second pillar involves the AI Film Award, launched in partnership with Google Gemini, offering a $1 million grand prize. This initiative has attracted over 30,000 participants from 116 countries. The Summit will also announce winners of the Creators Ventures Accelerator, organized with Creators HQ and 500 Global, providing investment opportunities worth up to AED 50 million.
The Summit brings together leading social media platforms such as Snapchat, X, YouTube, TikTok, Meta, Disney+, and TWITCH to explore the future of the creator economy. Discussions will cover topics like intellectual property protection, misinformation, analytics, AI, and community building.
Day 1 will feature the “1 Billion Acts of Kindness” campaign session with Saeed Al Eter, Sunny Varkey, MrBeast, and Jeffrey Housenbold. Comedian Max Amini will also present, sharing insights into his career and creative approach.
On Day 2, Lara Trump will participate in a fireside chat, discussing her diverse career in politics and media. The day will also feature actor Will Smith and Faris Saeed discussing the ‘Pole to Pole’ series and its insights on global change. Mohamed Alabbar and Rio Ferdinand will share their experiences in brand building and transitioning from sports to entrepreneurship, respectively.
Simon Squibb will deliver a keynote about his experience giving away prize money to support new ventures and sign his best-selling book on Day 3, rounding out the Summit’s agenda.