Dubai: His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has welcomed social media influencers and participants to the Arab Social Media Influencers Summit, which will be held on March 17 and 18 at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
Shaikh Mohammad highlighted the growing role of social media in various aspects of life, and stressed the need to utilise these channels as key drivers in creating a positive impact in the society.
“Social media channels have a role in creating constructive engagement, which can stimulate innovative thinking for the development of various sectors in the community through the sharing of experiences at the local and regional levels,” Shaikh Mohammad said.
As the first event of its kind in region, the Arab Social Media Influencers Summit will bring together more than 1,500 social media experts from Arab countries and across the world. As many as 38 leading speakers and influencers at the Summit will inspire young Arabs to employ their innovative ideas to serve the community through optimal use of social media channels.
On the first day of the Summit, the winners of the Arab Social Media Award will be announced. The Award honours individual and institutional winners in 20 categories covering various sectors.
The Summit has lined up engaging sessions that will provide an opportunity to discuss topics focused on the impact of social media platforms on humanity, and how social media can be employed to overcome challenges. The sessions will also explore the relation between traditional media and social media and how they can help shape the future.
The Arab speakers list includes Ali Jaber, Director of MBC Group and Dean of Mohammad Bin Rashid School of Communication, and Ahmad Shihab Al Deen, journalist and expert on social media, who will offer insights on the future of traditional media and the influence of social media.
Activities at the Summit include ‘Buthoor’, a platform that provides access to mentorship through accelerators as well as funding through investors. The inaugural Buthoor features a competition where start-ups, each representing an Arab accelerator, are required to pitch their business models to a panel of expert judges.
