1 Billion Followers Summit 2026 Urges Content Creators To Shift Focus From Scale To Substance
Featuring more than 500 speakers spanning entertainment, sports, politics, and digital media, the event drew a total of 30,000 attendees across its locations in Dubai.
The fourth edition of the 1 Billion Followers Summit concluded in Dubai this week with a clear message for the global creator economy: authenticity and impact now matter more than numbers.
Held from January 9–11, 2026, under the theme “Content for Good,” the Summit was organized by the UAE Government Media Office under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. Featuring more than 500 speakers spanning entertainment, sports, politics, and digital media, the event drew a total of 30,000 attendees across Emirates Towers, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), and the Museum of the Future, cementing its status as the world’s largest gathering dedicated to the creator economy.
A central theme to emerge throughout the Summit was the growing expectation that creators use their platforms to generate meaningful social impact. During a session on the first day, Emirati content creator Khalid Al Ameri, an Ambassador for the 1 Billion Followers Summit 2026, encouraged creators to shift their focus away from growth tactics and toward purpose. “There are a lot of hacks that are out there about how to grow very fast," he said. "What cannot be hacked is impact—the impact of the work that you do. That cannot be hacked. Chase the impact that you can have on people’s lives."
That sentiment was echoed by American content creator Jimmy Donaldson aka MrBeast, who announced the 20 winners of the 1 Billion Acts of Kindness campaign, launched in partnership with Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) and the Varkey Foundation, the non-profit arm of Dubai-based GEMS Education, who will join him on a campaign to “completely transform” an underprivileged village in Ghana. In a separate talk, Donaldson emphasized his belief that scale should be paired with responsibility. “Building a business, to me, is just more fun when, the more successful it becomes, there's a positive impact as opposed to a negative one..." he said. "These are real viewers, and we should just stop and think sometimes, not just how can we entertain them, but how can we inspire them to do good and be net positive."
The idea that creators now shape social priorities was reinforced by HE Saeed Al Eter, Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Strategic Projects and Chairman of the UAE Government Media Office. “No one can underestimate the power of content creators," Al Eter said. "They influence 59 percent of consumer decisions, while 50 percent of Gen Z say they feel a stronger personal connection to social media creators than to TV personalities."
Sunny Varkey, founder of GEMS Education and Varkey Foundation, used his appearance at the event to call on creators to amplify urgent global issues, particularly education. Referring to the 272 million children worldwide who are currently out of school, he said, “I don’t see this going viral on social media. I challenge all content creators to make the global education crisis a trend, because education is the greatest gift for a child.”
HE Reem bint Ebrahim Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation, also highlighted the role creators play in strengthening humanitarian response efforts by humanizing crises. Speaking during a fireside chat titled “Taking Aid to the World: Turning Attention into Action,” she noted that creators can shed light on suffering in a way that makes it impossible to ignore. “When we talk about human suffering, there is nothing political about that," she added. "Focusing on the humanitarian reality simply shows what life looks like on the other side.”
Alongside social impact, authenticity emerged as another defining theme of the Summit, particularly as creators navigate an increasingly crowded and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital landscape. During a session titled “How To Stand Out In A Noisy World,” branding strategist and content creator Chris Do, founder and CEO of online education platform The Futur, argued that strong personal brands must be clear, courageous, and willing to be different—even at the risk of being disliked. He cautioned against adopting uniform “professional personas” that dilute individuality.
Iranian-American comedian Max Amini delivered a similar message. While he is the most-watched comedian on Instagram, with more than 25 million followers and 5.8 billion views across platforms, Amini encouraged creators to look beyond virality and focus instead on craft, philosophy, and human connection. Similarly, American politician Lara Trump addressed the issue of authenticity during a fireside chat, particularly in the context of artificial intelligence. “People are craving authenticity,” she said, underscoring the growing premium audiences place on real, human voices.
Actor Will Smith closed out one of the Summit’s most anticipated sessions by sharing insights from Pole to Pole, a seven-episode documentary series that followed his journey from the South Pole to the North Pole over the course of two years. Describing the experience as “terrifying at times, but beautiful,” Smith noted that fear remains the greatest barrier to human potential, saying, “From your darkest difficulty, right in the center of the pain, is where the cure lives."
Pictured in the lead image is Emirati content creator Khalid Al Ameri at the 1 Billion Followers Summit 2026. Image courtesy 1 Billion Followers Summit
