UAE launches $1m ‘100 Dreams’ initiative to back aspiring entrepreneurs

Dubai: Aspiring entrepreneurs looking to turn their media and content creation ideas into businesses will have the opportunity to receive funding, mentorship, and support to establish companies in the UAE through a new $1 million initiative launched ahead of the 1 Billion Followers Summit 2027.

Called “100 Dreams,” the initiative will support 100 aspiring entrepreneurs from around the world who want to build creator-led businesses, production companies, digital media platforms, and other innovative ventures in the media industry.

Launched by the 1 Billion Followers Summit in collaboration with global content creator Simon Squibb and with the support of the National Media Authority, the programme aims to help promising ideas develop into sustainable businesses while strengthening the UAE’s creator economy.

Applications will open on November 20, with interested entrepreneurs able to register through the Joindream website.

The initiative forms part of the fifth edition of the 1 Billion Followers Summit, which will take place in Dubai from January 8 to 10 next year, under the theme “Content for Good.” Organised by the UAE Government Media Office, the summit is dedicated to advancing the global creator economy.

What selected entrepreneurs will receive

Each of the 100 selected participants will receive $10,000 in funding to help get their business off the ground, alongside practical assistance to establish a company in the UAE.

The package includes UAE company licensing support, assistance with the Golden Visa process subject to government approval, and a trip to Dubai to attend the 1 Billion Followers Summit in January.

Participants will also join a six-week kickstart programme, working with Squibb and the Dream team to develop their ideas and take the first steps towards launching their businesses.

The initiative is open to applicants worldwide aged 18 and above. Eligible ideas can span content creation and creator-led businesses, entertainment and digital media, video and film production, media technology and platforms, and innovative media business models.

Applicants do not need to relocate to Dubai, but must be able to establish their company in the UAE, travel to Dubai for the summit, and participate in the full six-week programme.

Next great media company

In an exclusive interview with Gulf News on the sidelines of the press conference held at the Creators HQ at Jumeirah Emirates Towers in Dubai today, Maitha Majid Al Suwaidi, executive director of media regulation at the National Media Authority, has noted that the initiative reflects the UAE’s ambition to become a hub for building globally competitive media businesses, rather than simply attracting content creators.

“The UAE do not want to just be a land for creators. We want to build the next great media company from the UAE,” Al Suwaidi told Gulf News.

She has bared that supporting media entrepreneurs is an investment in the country’s economic future and its influence on the global stage. She has pointed out that behind every successful creator is a business capable of generating employment, building brands, exporting products, and developing intellectual property.

“We’re no longer talking about media as entertainment. We’re talking about a business, an ecosystem, and that ecosystem needs support, and we see those creators as business owners.”

Al Suwaidi has added that the National Media Authority’s role is to create the conditions for these businesses to grow, including access to clear business services, room to innovate, and protection for their work and intellectual property.

“Talent could be born anywhere, it’s the UAE that can turn it into business.”

She has also highlighted the advantages of building a business in the UAE, where access to capital, technology, production capabilities, and international partnerships can help entrepreneurs take their ideas to global markets.

‘Creators are the future’

For Squibb, content creator and CEO of Dream Group, the initiative has been about giving talented people the practical support they need to turn their ambitions into reality.

Speaking to Gulf News, Squibb has mentioned that helping one entrepreneur could create a ripple effect that extends beyond the individual.

“I love the concept of the butterfly effect. You help one person, that changes their life, their family's life, the people, and their employees’ life, that changes their whole future existence,” shared Squibb.

By supporting 100 entrepreneurs with funding, exposure, education, and knowledge, Squibb believes the programme could create lasting change for individuals and their communities. He has seen creators as an increasingly important force in the global business landscape, particularly as artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes how people work and interact.

“I believe that for creators, they are the future, because brands are now creators, and creators have the ability to connect to the audience. In an AI world that's coming, you want to talk to humans. You want to buy from humans. And I don't think that's going to change.”

Squibb has underscored that creators can grow into major brands in their own right, provided they have the right resources and support to build sustainable businesses. He has urged aspiring entrepreneurs to take chances and apply for opportunities rather than rule themselves out before trying.

“The key thing is, you have to believe you're lucky to be lucky,” he said, adding that people who do not apply for opportunities may miss the chance to change their circumstances.

“If you don't apply, you don't try. I think you're missing out on luck. And luck is key to success.”

From personal experience to helping others

Squibb’s commitment to supporting entrepreneurs has been rooted in his own experience.

“I was homeless at 15 but one person believed in me and that changed my life,” recalled Squibb.

That experience has reinforced the importance of helping people who have the ambition and talent to succeed but lack the resources or encouragement to get started.

He has stressed that entrepreneurs need more than a desire to succeed, they also need the determination to address a problem they genuinely care about.

“The key to success is not wanting it but needing it, hunger.”

The programme has been intended to help ensure talented people were not left behind simply because they lacked access to funding, knowledge, or networks.

Creative ideas to global businesses

Alia Al Hammadi, vice chairperson of the UAE Government Media Office and deputy chairperson of the 1 Billion Followers Summit, has highlighted that the initiative brings together the opportunity to establish a company in the UAE and the strength of partnerships to help entrepreneurs realise their ambitions.

“There are two distinguished factors. First is the journey of establishing a company in the UAE and second is the partnership together,” said Al Hammadi.

“It's not our first time to support creating businesses and 100 dreams is that opportunity to make those dreams a reality.”

The programme reflects the growing recognition that the creator economy extends beyond social media audiences and online content to include businesses, technology, production, intellectual property, and employment.

For those who have a business idea but lack the resources to pursue it, 100 Dreams could be the first step towards a different future. Aspiring entrepreneurs worldwide have been invited to bring their ideas forward and explore how the UAE's business ecosystem can help turn their ambitions into reality.