Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, on Friday opened the 1 Billion Followers Summit in Dubai.
It is the largest global annual gathering of content creators, he said, and its audience has risen from one billion followers at its inaugural edition to 3.5 billion at its fourth.
This, Mr Al Gergawi said, means greater responsibility and more potential for driving change for everyone operating in the sector.
“Over the summit’s three days, we will celebrate content, not just as an industry, but as a driving force capable of improving lives,” he said.
“Content is now an integral part of politics, a driver of economy and a force shaping communities. Over 50 million videos are produced around the world on a daily basis across just two of the many existing social platforms. Individuals are exposed to more than 10,000 media messages and spend an average of five hours on social media every day.”
His words were echoed by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.
“Today, I witnessed one aspect of the activities of the 1 Billion Followers Summit, in which 30,000 content creators are participating,” he wrote on X.
“We welcome them to the UAE and we say to them; content creation is a message and a responsibility, an industry through which we move our communities towards the better, and through which we inspire generations, and through which we create economic opportunities, and through which we change our future for the better.”
The event will feature more than 500 speakers across 580 sessions and workshops addressing economy, technology, education and community content.
Its theme is “content for good” which, Mr Al Gergawi said, “means we perceive content creators as creators of impact and change”.
“Alongside governments that shape the rules of life, scientists who shape our understanding of the world, and businesses that transform ideas into value, algorithms shape our priorities, decisions, choices and direction,” he added.
“Content creators feed these algorithms, which means they are the driving force behind the human journey of intellect, public opinion and daily behaviour.
“We want creators to shift from amassing followers to driving change, and from creating content that wastes the user’s time to one that builds and empowers the individual.”
Another area of focus this year is artificial intelligence, he said, stating that “we deeply believe that those who do not embrace AI now will be left behind”.
It is not technology, platforms or algorithms that shape the future, but the human imagination and the meanings people create, Mr Al Gergawi added.
