Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (WAM)
After three intensive days that transformed the UAE capital into a global arena for the future of media, content, and entertainment, BRIDGE Summit 2025 concluded its inaugural edition, held from December 8–10 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC).
As the world’s largest debut media event, the Summit established the foundations of a new global media ecosystem, opening expansive avenues for the evolution of storytelling, the content industries, and AI governance in an era defined by technical complexity and rapid digital advancement.
The Summit drew more than 40,000 participants from 182 countries, while its live broadcast on X generated 57.5 million views across 190 countries. Viewership included 11.7 million from the United States, 6.5 million from Japan, 6.3 million from the United Kingdom, 4.4 million from France, 3.9 million from Indonesia, 4 million from Brazil, and 4.5 million from Saudi Arabia, alongside 16.2 million views from the rest of the world.
Engagement on the Summit’s official app accelerated at remarkable speed, propelling it to the #1 position in the UAE Apple Store Business category. Over the course of the event, the app recorded 5.4 million interactions, more than one million searches, 32,315 messages exchanged, and 1,276 meetings scheduled and completed.
The Summit recorded wide visibility, with a media reach of 834 million across traditional and digital channels, underscoring its importance and resonance with diverse audiences across various regions. Other platforms also logged more than 509 million impressions, reflecting the scale of engagement and the high level of visibility achieved across social networks.
The Summit’s website registered 67,000 participants, further highlighting the international momentum surrounding the inaugural edition and its growing presence in the global media and content landscape.
During the Summit, Abdulla bin Mohamed bin Butti Al Hamed, Chairman of BRIDGE, and the BRIDGE team held more than 38 bilateral meetings with international institutions and leading companies in media, technology, investment, and content production. These discussions focused on future collaboration and on building strategic partnerships to support the new media ecosystem that the Summit is designed to advance. This concentrated diplomatic and industry outreach expanded the Summit’s global network and reinforced its position as a pivotal hub connecting key players across the creative and digital sectors.
The event led to 48 MoUs and commercial agreements between international and local entities. Among the most significant was a strategic partnership between Archeo Futurus, Trillium Technologies, and Daywalker Global, committing USD 200 million to establish a media and technology innovation center in Abu Dhabi in 2026—further strengthening the UAE’s role as a global destination for content creation and advanced technology.
The 3-day event built genuine bridges across generations, with broad youth and Gen Z participation in direct discussions with senior experts, industry pioneers, and influential leaders. Through its seven content tracks, the Summit also built critical linkages across sectors that traditionally operate in isolation. It connected Media with the Creator Economy, bridged Music with Picture, and opened new collaborative channels between Gaming and Marketing. The Technology track, including AI, served as a central engine within this ecosystem, enabling deeper intersections and supporting new models for production, distribution, and audience experience.
Abdulla bin Mohamed bin Butti Al Hamed expressed his thanks to participants in the inaugural edition of the Summit. He said the purpose of the gathering is to build connections, close distances, and anticipate the future of media in the service of people.
The Chairman said: “As this edition of BRIDGE Summit closes, the past days have revealed far more than scheduled meetings. Voices from across continents arrived with different views yet found common ground on the truth that content and creativity now function as economic engines rather than optional pursuits. The partnerships formed, the ideas exchanged between creators and investors, and the strategic conversations across the venue stand as seeds that will grow into concrete projects and new opportunities in the months ahead.”
Al Hamed noted that the momentum of the inaugural edition asserts the UAE’s status as a global center for media innovation and digital leadership. The Chairman said the scale of engagement reflects the country’s commitment to responsible media and to content that balances technological advancements with the professional and ethical standards needed to build informed societies in the digital age.
“What sets BRIDGE Summit apart is its ability to create an environment for real transformation. When an ambitious content creator meets an investor seeking a clear opportunity, and when a major technology platform engages a local startup, a new economic model takes shape, built on trust and shared intent. Creative industries are no longer peripheral; they now serve as core pillars in any development strategy that seeks diversification and long-term stability," the Chairman added.
He concluded: "BRIDGE Summit is an ongoing effort carried forward together. The relationships and partnerships formed here will shape work beyond these halls, and the ideas raised will become tangible in markets and platforms. Future editions will move with greater depth and reach, because the future we are discussing is built through serious partnerships and steady work. The Summit remains open to those who see creativity as investment, content as an economy, and youth as a resource worthy of real commitment."
Dr. Jamal Mohammed Obaid Al Kaabi, Vice Chairman, BRIDGE, said: "The Summit gave media and content a new home and a new voice at a critical time when the world needs platforms able to bring together the most influential forces in the knowledge and digital fields. It established an international space where journalists, content creators, and decision-makers can exchange views and shape directions that support a more balanced and human-centered media sector."
He added: "The inaugural edition opened broad pathways for advancing content-production tools, strengthening information integrity, and improving coordination among governments, technology, and media institutions. It also supported new economic ecosystems built on innovation, digital ownership, and artificial intelligence. What Abu Dhabi witnessed over the past three days marks a foundational step toward long-term international cooperation in this field."
Al Kaabi said the BRIDGE Alliance will ensure that future editions present ideas that keep pace with the speed of change in media and content. He noted that the alliance will deepen this direction through initiatives and partnerships that strengthen institutions' and creators' ability to keep pace with the future and generate sustainable global impact.
The Vice Chairman concluded: “We believe global summits are not ceremonial gatherings but launch pads for ideas and initiatives that deliver measurable results. They turn innovation into a driver of sustainable growth and transform ambition into economic and social impact across the region and the wider world.”
Over three days, the BRIDGE Summit 2025 became a live working platform that brought together diplomats, policymakers, business leaders, global talent, and next-generation creators. The international event mapped out a practical guide for the emerging media landscape and launched new bridges of cooperation across sectors and borders, spanning cinema, gaming, newsrooms, podcast studios, social platforms, and virtual-reality spaces.
It also bolstered its status as an international platform redefining the role of media and content in the modern world. Discussions among experts and leaders underscored that the media is an integrated system that shapes public consciousness and the narratives that connect societies. Participants stressed that modern media is at a point that requires rebuilding its values, strengthening its role in knowledge production, and developing tools to preserve credibility amid digital fragmentation and the expanding volume of competing information.
An ecosystem that brings governments, technology, and media together
The summit stood out for bringing together the most influential players in the global media landscape into a single ecosystem. Governments, technology companies, media institutions, content platforms, and digital-economy experts came together under one roof. This alignment between parallel sectors opened a new conversation about the future of media, its regulatory needs, and how to confront the rising challenges posed by digital platforms.
The result was the early formation of a more integrated global approach aimed at building a sustainable media environment.
It also reaffirmed a clear shift back toward human-centered storytelling after years dominated by rapid production cycles and short-form content. Sessions highlighted that global audiences are seeking authentic narratives that reflect shared human values, and that the future will favor stories that build cultural bridges and give creators greater space to express identity and experience in their artistic and media work.
The summit presented a new outlook on the role of AI in media and content industries. AI technologies are now part of the core structure of media operations and their future direction. Discussions emphasized the need for flexible regulatory frameworks that keep pace with rapid change, ensure the responsible use of generative AI, and preserve the human role in leading storytelling and creativity. Participants also highlighted the importance of enabling institutions to innovate without falling into overreliance on artificial intelligence.
A global axis emerging through BRIDGE Summit
During the event, the Summit shed light on information integrity as one of today’s most pressing global challenges. Discussions highlighted the need for shared mechanisms to confront misinformation and strengthen societies’ access to accurate, reliable information.
It also addressed the changing dynamics of the creator-economy sector, where sustainability now depends on building independent ventures, diversifying income streams, and strengthening direct engagement with audiences. Discussions showed that value and knowledge-driven content will lead the next phase, and that global markets are moving toward innovative production models built on collaboration and the continuous upskilling of creators.
Digital economy at the core of a new global direction
The summit gave strong momentum to the global conversation on Web3 and the digital economy, highlighting them as defining features of the next media evolution. Sessions offered deep insights into the future of digital ownership, the protection of creators’ rights, and the development of new economic ecosystems built on decentralization and transparency.
The UAE… A global center shaping the future of media and its technologies
By spotlighting the UAE’s advanced position in the media and content industries, the event served as a platform that links innovation with development, offering a space for idea exchange, partnership forging, and shaping future trends. BRIDGE Summit 2025 affirmed its standing as a global reference point, reshaping the media landscape and establishing a new phase in which the UAE advances to the forefront of international efforts toward more credible, human-centered, and technologically empowered media.
BRIDGE Summit 2025 brought together hundreds of partners and exhibitors from the UAE, the region, and across the world — reflecting the breadth and diversity of the global media, content, entertainment, and technology ecosystem, and embodying the Summit’s seven tracks that span media, creator economy, music, gaming, technology & AI, marketing & brands, and picture/film.
