New edition of 1Billion Followers Summit to debut $1million AI film award

The 1 Billion Followers Summit will return for its fourth edition in January 2026, with a first-of-its-kind, $1million award for films created through AI.

Making the announcement on Wednesday, Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, said the winning film will be honoured, and the top 10 competing films will be showcased during the fourth edition of the summit.

It will be held from January 9 to 11, across Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Dubai International Financial Centre, and the Museum of the Future, under the theme "Content for Good". It will will feature 400 speakers with a combined following of over 3 billion, Al Gergawi said, adding that it will reinforce the UAE’s position as a global hub for positive content creation and growth in the digital economy.

Organised by the UAE Government Media Office, the summit will also see the launch of a AED50 million Creators Ventures programme to support creative content creators by funding innovative projects with global cultural and economic impact. 

The programme also supports an accelerator programme in collaboration with 500 Global to fund projects of finalists to equip next generation of creative entrepreneurs worldwide with funding, mentorship and tools to expand and take their projects global.

It will also see the launch of a dedicated Content Creation Companies Pavilion. It will be more than just a display space for ideas and insights, and will provide emerging creators with the opportunity to learn from the achievements of global content creators to grow their reach and revenues.

The Summit also announced the appointment of five new ambassadors for its fourth edition, namely entrepreneur and business creator Simon Squibb, Australian content creator Alexandra Mary Hirschi (known as “Supercar Blondie”), UAE content creator, writer and speaker Khalid Al Ameri, Bahraini content creator Omar Farooq and co-founder of Yes Theory media company Ammar Kandil.