Dubai will host the fourth edition of the 1 Billion Followers Summit 2026 from January 9 to January 11, confirming the city's standing as the global hub for the creator economy. The event brings together 15,000 creators, influencers, platform leaders, media executives, and policymakers for three days of talks, sessions, and major announcements focused on content, technology, and social impact. Organised by the UAE Government Media Office, the summit takes place across Emirates Towers, DIFC, and the Museum of the Future under the theme Content for Good.
UAE Leadership Backs the World's Largest Creator Summit
The summit is held under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. Saeed Al Eter, Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Strategic Projects and Chairman of the UAE Government Media Office, addressed media at a press conference hosted at Creators HQ in Emirates Towers. He confirmed the summit has grown into the largest global gathering for content creators and new media professionals.
Al Eter noted that speakers across the summit's editions collectively represented one billion followers at launch — a figure that has since grown to a combined 3.5 billion followers by this fourth edition.
Education, Social Impact, and Creator Responsibility
A central focus of the 2026 summit is the shift toward impact-driven content. One major initiative involves a collaboration with TikTok on an education-focused programme promoting edutainment content. The initiative attracted 610,000 participants who produced 320,000 educational videos, generating 1.8 billion views on the platform.
The summit has also announced five strategic partnerships with YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, X, and Meta aimed at supporting content with educational and social value. The full programme spans 580 sessions and workshops featuring 500 speakers addressing financial literacy, healthcare, education, entrepreneurship, and digital media.
AI Film Award: $1 Million Prize for Creators
Artificial intelligence takes centre stage in the 2026 agenda. In partnership with Google Gemini, the summit launched the AI Film Award with a grand prize of $1 million — the world's largest prize for an AI-generated film competition. The contest received 30,000 submissions from 116 countries, with five films selected for the final stage to be screened during the summit.
Saeed Al Eter described the award as a direct investment in new forms of storytelling shaped by AI tools. Alia AlHammadi, Vice Chairperson of the UAE Government Media Office and CEO of the summit, called the event a testing ground for new media trends, funding pathways, and creative formats reshaping the global creator economy.
Global Speakers, Funding, and Flagship Announcements
The summit hosts 500 speakers, including 150 CEOs and global experts. Confirmed names include Will Smith, MrBeast, Lara Trump, Max Amini, Simon Squibb, and Mohamed Alabbar. The programme features 400 keynote sessions, workshops, roundtables, and debates structured around three pillars: Economy, Content, and Technology.
One of the flagship initiatives is the Creators Ventures Accelerator, organised by Creators HQ in collaboration with 500 Global, offering funding of up to AED50 million. The programme received 1,131 applications from 70 countries.
The final day of the summit will announce the winners of the AI Film Award and the 1 Billion Acts of Kindness campaign, supported by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives and the Varkey Foundation. With confirmed dates, venues, speakers, and initiatives, the 1 Billion Followers Summit 2026 sets the agenda for content creation, technology adoption, and social responsibility — cementing Dubai's role as the stage for a global conversation shaping how content influences culture, education, and media worldwide.
