“One Billion Followers Summit 4”: Unique global initiatives and a $1 million prize
The Billion Followers Summit, the world’s largest content economy summit organized by the UAE Government Media Office, concluded its preparatory meetings for its fourth edition, adopting a rich agenda of topics and programs that consolidate the UAE’s position as a global hub for purposeful content creation and the digital economy. The summit also announced the launch of the world’s largest AI-generated film award, worth $1 million, in addition to a number of unique global initiatives and speakers followed by more than three billion followers.
The fourth edition of the Billion Followers Summit will be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him. The summit will be held in Dubai at Jumeirah Emirates Towers, the Dubai International Financial Centre, and the Dubai Museum of the Future from January 9 to 11, 2026, under the theme “Purposeful Content.”
The five-day interactive discussions included the participation of CEOs of major social media platforms and digital media companies, as well as a group of prominent global content creators and influencers, new media experts, and a number of entrepreneurs. Together, they reviewed ways to enhance the summit’s media presence, storytelling methods, and crafting meaningful content. They also discussed technical trends and transformations in the influencer economy, and explored intellectual property tools, artificial intelligence, and ways to combat misinformation.
Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Mohammed Abdullah Al Gergawi, affirmed that His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has supported and embraced the media and content industry sector throughout his 30-year development and leadership journey. He added that the content industry economy is an economic force with unlimited prospects, and the UAE today is not only keeping pace with its developments, but is also leading and defining new paths within it.
He pointed to the launch of the world’s largest AI-generated film award, worth $1 million, in partnership with Google Gemini, to enhance the UAE’s role in the content creation economy.
The Billion Followers Summit aims to support and encourage the production of purposeful films using various AI tools, while also raising awareness of the humanitarian messages these films should convey. It also aims to enhance creative abilities, aesthetic vision, and advanced skills in integrating AI tools into film production, as short films have become one of the most popular and effective means of conveying meaningful and impactful messages to audiences.
The award requires that the film be entirely generated using artificial intelligence, and that it be creative and realistic. Judging for the award relies on storytelling, creativity, the integration of artificial intelligence, execution, and consistency with the theme to convey a humane message. Further details will be announced in September, along with the start of the competition.
The fourth edition’s agenda will feature a significant expansion in interactive sessions and international partnerships, providing greater opportunities for content creators to create impactful and purposeful works, in line with the UAE’s role in empowering this segment and providing the appropriate environment that enables them to grow and expand globally.
The summit also plays a significant role as a platform for accelerating global creative transformation, by bringing together innovators from around the world, fostering cross-border partnerships, providing platforms for experimentation and innovation, and supporting startups.
The preparatory meetings represented a pivotal milestone in formulating the agenda for the fourth edition of the Billion Followers Summit, which will witness several unique initiatives, in addition to the largest global award for films generated using artificial intelligence. The summit also announced its adoption of the second edition of the “Investment in Content Creation” program, organized and supported by the “Influencer HQ” in cooperation with “500 Global.” The program aims to attract global talent, encourage emerging companies from around the world to relocate their headquarters to the UAE, and consolidate the country’s role as a global center for the production of purposeful content
