Today's Edition
DUBAI (WAM)
The 1 Billion Followers Summit concluded its second edition in Dubai on Thursday reiterating the importance of digital content creation and its rapidly evolving role in communication, learning, and entertainment, in the region and around the world.
Organised by the New Media Academy on January 10- 11, the event engaged over 300 million social media users across various digital platforms.
The summit's hashtag #1BillionSummit ranked among the most followed hashtags worldwide in the past couple of days, with engagements exceeding 489 million. Additionally, the summit was the focus of 300+ local and international journalists who took the summit’s voice to the world and conducted exclusive interviews with some of the world's most famous influencers on social media.
Remarkable Presence
Up to 195 speakers and content creators from 95 countries and regions shared unique experiences, advice, and secrets to success across the fields of art, sports, education, health, business, and environment. The event attracted 7,000 attendees and participants, including 3,000 content creators, who hailed the platform as a unique opportunity to connect and collaborate with content creators from different countries and cultures.
Saeed Al Eter, Chairman of the UAE Government Media Office, affirmed that the UAE continues to boost its influence on the international media scene, introducing the world to its collective achievements. He also lauded the country’s exceptional ability to stay ahead of developments and anticipate major transformations in the field of new media, to embrace this vast space and invest in its unlimited potential.
He said, “The 1 Billion Followers Summit embodies the UAE's commitment to developing the creative industries and writing a new chapter in the evolution of digital media and content creation. This is achieved by providing a nurturing environment to attract talents and innovators, organising events that bring together influential names in the field to benefit from their experiences, and inspiring journeys that serve as a motivation for new content creators in developing visions, goals, and tools”.
He added, “The Summit is a new affirmation of our country's strong presence in every positive change aimed at advancing means of communication among people. We have great confidence that the success of this event, which brought together more than 7,000 participants from 95 countries around the world, including over 3,000 content creators, influencers, and creatives, will be a qualitative leap in its journey, as well as the journey of new media and content creation in our country, the Arab region, and the world,” affirming that the UAE will remain a cradle of creativity.
Alia Al Hammadi, CEO of the New Media Academy, affirmed that the vibrant regional and global engagement with the summit - its events, activations and discussions - asserts Dubai's leadership in providing a nurturing and supportive environment for creative industry professionals and emerging talents. It also solidifies the city’s position as a preferred destination for content creators and influencers of various nationalities and cultures.
She said: “The summit offered a pioneering and comprehensive platform for exchanging experiences and knowledge among participants. It has offered the tools and the right guidance to empower social media practitioners to hone their talent, creativity and capabilities, asserting that communication is the new and most widely used global currency. Dubai will continue striving to offer the best platforms and services to advance the value of this sector and those who operate within it.”
24 Panel Discussions
Al Hammadi thanked the partners, sponsors, speakers, and attendees who contributed to the success of the second edition of the summit and expressed her hope to meet them again in the next edition.
The summit, over the course of two days, organised 24 panel discussions, hosting an elite group of the world's leading social media pioneers.
These discussions covered the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities in the creative industries and digital media. The event also featured speeches from top executives and international business leaders, highlighting the role of new media in enhancing community development, the importance of producing content that elevates the audience's tastes and embedding awareness in generations in line with the summit's vision.
On its first day, the summit held 12 panel discussions, including a session on ‘Money Mindset for Creators’ featuring Riyadh Al Zamil, Elie Habib, and Amr Mansi. In another session titled ‘You're Allowed to Take Breaks,’ Haifa Beseisso, Raghda Taleen, and Saif Al Dhahab spoke about the importance of content creators balancing their work and personal life.
The summit also discussed the pros and cons of sports content creation, emphasising the need to balance passion with objectivity and neutrality, in the session titled ‘No Game, No Fame.’ This session was presented by Amr Nassouhy, Abdulla Alnoaimi, and Musaed Al Fouzan, known as M12 Fouzan. Additionally, the session ‘Get Paid to Travel the World, Around’ featured personal experiences from various travel content creators, including Qasim Al Hattou, commonly known as ‘Ibn Hattuta,’ Walid Elmusrati, Kareem Elsayed, and Khoubaib Kouas.
Mohamad Fattal and Ahmad Mahmood shared their insights on how to professionally manage content in the session titled ‘Your Smart Manager.’ The session ‘Become Your Own Brand Ambassador’ revealed secrets of leveraging personal influence for business success, with participation from Rizwan Sajan and Mohanad Al Wadiya. In the session ‘Blowing Minds One View at a Time,’ Adil Taouil, Rawaa al Jallad, and Amine Aouni discussed the art of creating visual masterpieces. The audience was also introduced to the secrets of turning a passion for content creation into an income source by Farah Al Kurdi, ‘Mo Vlogs,’ and Raghad Fahmi.
Managing Stress Sterategies
Rajeh Alharthi, Kareem Esmail, and Fares Ghandour explored strategies for managing stress and pressures faced by content creators in the session titled ‘A Creator's Guide to a Healthy Mind.’ Additionally, the session ‘From Phone Screens to Theatre Screenings’ led by NJM and brothers Faris and Sohayb Godus, discussed how to use innovative skills and insights to open new horizons beyond social media and reach television screens.
The sessions on the second day of the summit provided invaluable knowledge, information, and experiences from top content creators, media personalities, and businessmen from around the world. This included the session 'Walk the Line or Die Trying,' featuring Ahmed Albasheer, and Malek Maktabi, which discussed the skill of making smart, honest, and captivating comments without causing harm or controversy.
Jack Appleby, Osama Marwah, Max Klymenko, and Erica William discussed ways for content creators to enhance their relationships and communication with brands and build partnerships while maintaining their identity and authenticity in the session 'How Should Content Creators Speak to Brands?'
The second day of the summit included a series of discussion sessions at the Museum of the Future stage. One of these was the ‘Podcast Pitfalls and What to Look Out For’ session, where Bassel Alzaro, Tarek Sekik, and Mouin Gaber shared valuable advice, guidance, and insights with the audience. In the session ‘When Should You Leave Your Job?’ Nasser Al Aqil shared information that every content creator needs to know about the indicators that help them decide to devote themselves full-time to creative industries.
Fabienne Fourquet, Gurpreet Singh, and Phil Ranta discussed the future of financing for content creators in a session titled ‘What Will Companies Spend on Creators Next Year?' Another session, ‘The Hidden Gems of X’, reviewed effective ways to boost audience numbers on the X platform, featuring Eyad AlHmoud, Dr. Adil Sajwani, Dr. Abdulkhaleq Abdulla.
Hasan Al Hashim, Ahmed Abouzaid, Abdallah Annan, and Hussain Abdullah discussed edutainment in the session 'Make Knowledge Pop.' Additionally, a session titled ‘AI Can Do It Better, and It's Okay' explored the ethical landscape of using artificial intelligence, featuring Dr. Abdulla AlShimmari and Khaled Zaatarah.
