The 1 Billion Followers Summit has announced the agenda for its fifth edition, which will take place in Dubai from January 8 to 10, 2027 under the theme “Content for Good”.
Organised by the UAE Government Media Office and held under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the event will run across Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Dubai International Financial Centre and the Museum of the Future.
The agenda was announced at a press conference hosted by Creators HQ at Emirates Towers following preparatory meetings for the event. Mohammad Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, attended the press conference. Organisers also announced partnerships and programmes aimed at developing the UAE’s role in the content economy.
The programme includes the second edition of the $1 million AI Film Award, held with BytePlus, the enterprise technology services arm of ByteDance. TikTok will also partner with the summit on the award after its launch during the fourth edition of the event.
Instagram Creators Day will take place at the summit for the first time, while the Creators Market will return for a second edition with 100 creator-led small and medium-sized enterprises.
Organisers said more than 400 speakers will take part, with a combined following of more than four billion people. They said this represents four times the combined audience recorded for speakers at the inaugural edition.
Preparatory meetings focus on AI, misinformation and creator businesses
Preparatory meetings brought together chief executives from social media platforms and digital media companies, creator economy and media specialists, content creators, entrepreneurs and representatives of digital start-ups.
Participants discussed the summit’s media presence and ways for creators to increase the scale and reach of their work.
Discussions also covered storytelling methods, misinformation, the use of AI in content production, intellectual property tools, technology trends and changes within the creator economy.
The meetings examined the development, future and monetisation of the content industry and discussed collaboration between creators and businesses in line with the requirements and trends of social media platforms.
Saeed Al Eter, Chairman of the UAE Government Media Office and CEO of the 1 Billion Followers Summit, reaffirmed that the UAE believes its role extends beyond merely keeping pace with the transformations across the creator economy, to convening those who make it happen under one roof: content creators, platforms, companies and investors. This was the inspiration behind the 1 Billion Followers Summit, which acts as a space for partnerships, ideas and opportunities that shape the future of this industry. He noted that the Summit’s global partnerships are an extension of the UAE leadership’s commitment more than 30 years ago to invest in the media and its associated industries.
“Content creators possess the power to shape public awareness, set priorities, transform mindsets and influence the behaviour of millions. With such immense power comes immense responsibility that is our duty toward our societies and nations, as well as our responsibility to share genuine knowledge, bring nations together and spread love and humanity,” he said in a statement.
He said the UAE had worked to develop an economy around content creation that could attract capital and talent. As part of that programme, the UAE has launched an AED150 million Content Creators Support Fund and the AED50 million Creators Ventures Accelerator.
Creators HQ has registered 5,000 members from 130 countries with a combined audience of more than five billion followers, according to figures announced at the press conference. The UAE has 15,000 licensed content creators representing more than 90 nationalities.
Summit programme expands use of AI in creator operations
Al Eter said the event would examine the next stage of AI use in content creation, including applications beyond content production.
Areas identified in the agenda include media campaign management, content distribution, translation and localisation for regional markets, sourcing brand partnerships, campaign negotiation, audience analytics, intellectual property and rights management, identifying commercial opportunities, sales and return-on-investment tracking.
The summit will also host platform pavilions, workshops and sessions.
“With its extended agenda, the fifth edition reflects the 1 Billion Followers Summit’s commitment to empowering creators across tools, investment and reach. It underscores our focus on keeping pace with technological transformations while delivering real opportunities for impactful content that elevates the economic and creative value of digital media. The Summit’s growing partnerships with major digital platforms and global tech companies highlights international confidence in the UAE’s standing as a global hub for the creator economy, and the belief in its mission. These active partnerships also testify to the supportive ecosystem fostered by the UAE under the vision of its leadership with the aim of driving the sector’s growth and forging new paths for the next generation of creative entrepreneurs,” Alia Al Hammadi, Vice Chairperson of the UAE Government Media Office and Deputy CEO of the 1 Billion Followers Summit added.
$1m AI Film Award sets seven submission themes
The summit will hold the second edition of its $1 million AI Film Award in partnership with BytePlus. BytePlus provides API access to Dreamina Seedance, ByteDance’s video-generation AI model, for multimodal video creation.
Films may be entered under seven themes:
- Science & Discovery: A scientific breakthrough or discovery.
- Civilisations & Empires: A human story involving a civilisation, kingdom, empire or period.
- Culture & Traditions: The story behind a tradition, celebration, food, art form, ritual or cultural practice.
- Inventions & Human Ingenuity: The process behind an invention, solution or idea that changed daily life.
- Exploration & Adventure: A journey, expedition or encounter that changed understanding of the world.
- Turning Points in History: A decision, event or moment that changed what followed.
- Lost & Forgotten Stories: People, places, achievements or ideas being brought back to public attention.
TikTok #1MillionStories competition offers $100,000 prize
The summit will also host the #1MillionStories competition in partnership with TikTok.
The competition asks TikTok users around the world to identify one film or television series that changed their life and explain why through a TikTok video.
Entries will be judged on creativity, impact, storytelling and reach. The winner will receive $100,000 from the 1 Billion Followers Summit. TikTok LIVE will operate a booth during the summit to connect creators and audiences.
The programme will include LIVE performances from music and entertainment creators, the launch of the TikTok LIVE Academy with Creators HQ, and livestreams of the closing ceremony and selected sessions.
Organisers said the programme will demonstrate how TikTok LIVE can be used by creators to express themselves, develop their work, build communities and connect with audiences.
Creators Brand Village and Instagram Creators Day join programme
The summit will host the Creators Brand Village in partnership with Alfan. The space will allow creators to connect with brands and generate income during the summit.
Instagram Creators Day will also take place for the first time at the event. The day-long programme, curated by Instagram, will include discussions and creator-led sessions involving creators, industry representatives and the Instagram team.
Topics will include changes affecting creators, content, community building, business development and cultural impact.
Creators Market to host 100 SMEs
The Creators Market will return for its second year with a pavilion for creator-led SMEs.
The programme will allow businesses in the content economy to present their products and ideas, pursue deals and seek support for setting up brands in the UAE.
The market will host 100 SMEs.
TikTok, X, YouTube, Instagram, Meta and Snapchat named as partners
The summit announced TikTok, X, YouTube, Instagram, Meta and Snapchat as strategic partners.
Instagram, Meta, TikTok, bilibili, OpenAI, LinkedIn, Google, X and YouTube will operate spaces at the summit for discussions, panels and workshops connecting creators with industry representatives.
Strategic sponsors announced for the event include Emirates, e&, Dubai Digital Chamber, PUBLICIS GROUP Middle East, DIFC, Museum of the Future, Talabat, Saudi German Hospital, Global Southing, Dubai Silicon Oasis and RTA.
Fourth edition hosted more than 580 sessions and 500 speakers
The fourth edition of the summit hosted more than 580 sessions and 500 speakers.
Its programme focused on the role of content creators in social impact and the use of AI in content production. The summit formed partnerships with YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, X and Meta and ran an Educator Award with TikTok.
The Educator Award received 320,000 video submissions and generated 1.8 billion views.
The summit also worked with MrBeast on the 1 Billion Acts of Kindness campaign, which generated more than 170,000 community actions and 100 million views within three weeks.
Twenty creators were selected through the campaign to take part in a humanitarian project supported by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives and the Varkey Foundation.
The fourth edition also hosted a $1 million AI Film Award in partnership with Google Gemini. The competition received more than 30,000 entries from 116 countries. Director Zoubeir Jlassi won the award for his film “Lily”.
