Supercar Blondie, Zach King, Maye Musk to headline 1Billion Followers Summit in Dubai

Dubai: Supercar Blondie, Zach King, and Maye Musk are among the high-profile speakers set to headline the 1Billion Followers Summit that will be held in Dubai from January 11 to 13.

Organised by the UAE Government Media Office under the theme ‘Content for Good’, the event will also award a $1 million prize to the best content creator, a competition that has garnered over 16,000 applications and 3.3 million online votes, it was revealed at a press conference on Tuesday.

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Promising to be a global celebration of creativity and innovation, the third edition of the Summit has lined up prominent speakers including Tucker Carlson (renowned US political commentator and former Fox News host), Maye Musk (mother of Elon Musk –billionaire owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX—who is internationally recognised as a model, dietitian, and author) and Jay Shetty (motivational speaker, former monk, and bestselling author with a massive online audience), announced Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs.

Other speakers shaping the future of content creation include Zach King, viral content creator and digital magician known for his innovative short-form videos, Supercar Blondie (Alex Hirschi), former Dubai-based journalist-turned-automotive influencer celebrated for her engaging content about luxury and supercars, Surthany Hejeij, Lebanese influencer known for posting viral cooking videos, and Dubai’s own Anas Bukhash, host of AB Talks.

For the first time globally, this edition of the Summit will bring together the world’s leading social media platforms, including Snapchat, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Meta (Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp). These platforms will engage with the summit audience to discuss the future of the industry, empowering content creators and influencers to reach wider audiences and drive positive impact.

Platform representatives, influencers, and content creators will exchange ideas on the future of content creation, building impactful content, protecting intellectual property, combating misinformation, and leveraging tools like AI, analytics, and digital community-building strategies to advance humanity.

The Summit will be hosted at Emirates Towers, the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), and the Museum of the Future.

Converging the world’s top creators and industry experts for entertainment and professional growth, the Summit will be attended by more than 15,000 attendees.

Mohammad Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, said the summit will feature more than 420 speakers and 126 CEOs and experts from around the globe, offering attendees a range of workshops, networking sessions, and panels. He pointed out that the remarkable success of the summit’s previous editions has been a milestone in advancing the digital content industry both regionally and globally.

Al Gergawi noted that the rapidly growing global content industry, estimated at $250 billion, presents significant potential for the UAE, given the nation’s leading regional infrastructure and top global ranking in the Network Readiness Index.

“Just as we successfully established an economic sector through Dubai Internet City and our media sector through Dubai Media City, we now aim to build a sustainable content industry through regulatory frameworks, investment support, knowledge sharing, and a series of exceptional initiatives,” he said.

Al Gergawi further explained that the UAE is developing a streamlined and sustainable legislative ecosystem to facilitate the launch of content platforms and businesses. In line with this, the UAE had announced a Dh150 million fund to support investment in the content industry, as well as plans for a Creators HQ a year ago, to provide content creators with high-end services and encourage their relocation to the UAE. He added that Creators HQ will soon be launched.

Alia Al Hammadi, Vice Chairperson of the UAE Government Media Office, also highlighted the summit’s importance in positioning the UAE as a global hub for content creators and innovators.

She said the UAE’s unique appeal, especially with its safe, diverse, and creative environment, makes it an ideal destination for creators.

“We have 195 nationalities here, and that diversity gives creators the freedom and creativity to come up with content. Creators need stories, and stories come from the ecosystem and environment they live in,” Alia explained.

A highlight of the event is the $1 million prize called the One Billion Award, deemed the world’s largest and most valuable for content creators, which received an overwhelming response in its inaugural edition. “We received over 16,000 applications of content creators, and online voting drew 3.3 million votes through the website,” said Alia.

Top 10 candidates were shortlisted in December. The five highest-voted candidates will now advance to the final selection stage, with the winner to be chosen by a jury during the valedictory day of the summit on Monday.

The final day of the 1Billion Followers Summit will also announce the winners of the 1 Billion Pitches competition, a global initiative offering funding and support to innovative content creation startups. With Dh50 million in funding—Dh30 million from Shorooq and Dh20 million from the Summit—the competition received 500 applications from 40 countries. After narrowing down to 25 finalists, the top 10 will compete for funding and support, with the top two winners set to be revealed on the summit’s closing day.

Saeed Al Eter, Chairman of the UAE Government Media Office, noted that, building on the success of its first two editions, the third edition features an enhanced agenda, including the launch of the 1 Billion Pitches competition and the $1 million One Billion Award. He underscored the vital role of content creation in shaping the future of digital media.