Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Attends Graduation of 522 Content Creators at 1 Billion Followers Summit

Dubai, The Gulf Observer: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, attended the graduation ceremony of 522 content creators and new media specialists during the fourth edition of the 1 Billion Followers Summit, the world’s largest gathering dedicated to the content creator economy.

The ceremony marked the successful completion of seven specialised programmes organised by the UAE Government Media Office and the New Media Academy, in collaboration with a number of strategic partners.

Congratulating the graduates, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said the newly qualified talent represents a valuable addition to government communication and the digital media ecosystem. He noted that their skills will contribute to effective and responsible communication of the UAE’s message to the world, further strengthening the country’s regional and global standing.

“Investing in people is the foundation of building the future. Preparing professional content creators is essential to keeping pace with change and producing content that reflects the UAE’s values, supports its development ambitions, and enhances its regional and global leadership,” His Highness said.

The graduation ceremony was also attended by His Excellency Mohammad Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs.

The graduating programmes included the Impact Makers initiative, Specialised Content Creators, Historical Content Creators, the sixth edition of the Faris Al Muhtawa Content Creators Programme, the Executive Diploma in Government Digital Communication, Economic Content Pioneers, and the Social Media Professional Programme.

Organised by the UAE Government Media Office, the 1 Billion Followers Summit is being held in Dubai from January 9 to 11 at Emirates Towers, the Dubai International Financial Centre, and the Museum of the Future, under the theme “Content for Good.” The event has brought together more than 15,000 content creators and influencers, along with over 500 speakers whose combined audience exceeds 3.5 billion followers worldwide.

Launched by the International Humanitarian and Philanthropic Council in cooperation with the New Media Academy, the Impact Makers initiative focuses on creative humanitarian storytelling and crisis communication. It provides specialised training in media engagement, narrative development, video production, and the use of artificial intelligence in humanitarian content. The programme also includes participants from the Humanitarian Impact Content Creators Programme, which aims to develop humanitarian content creators from the Arab region and beyond.

The initiative targets journalists, production teams, and digital creators specialising in humanitarian and development affairs, while also training official spokespersons of donor institutions and charitable organisations in corporate reputation management and media crisis communication.

The Specialised Content Creators programme seeks to enhance the capabilities of professionals in government entities and the private sector, enabling them to produce high-quality content in key areas such as the economy, legislation, medicine and mental health, agriculture, and food security. Participants received training in simplifying complex information, storytelling, specialised scriptwriting, photography, digital editing, and creative AI tools.

The ceremony also marked the graduation of the fourth cohort of the Executive Diploma in Government Digital Communication, launched by the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government in partnership with the New Media Academy. The diploma, the first of its kind in the region, comprised 13 modules delivered over 76 intensive training hours by leading academics and international experts to strengthen digital leadership in government communication.

Among the graduates was the first cohort of Historical Content Creators, a programme designed to train storytellers passionate about Arab history to present heritage narratives through engaging digital formats, supported by AI-powered content tools.

The Economic Content Pioneers programme aims to empower Emirati and Arab youth to produce impactful economic and entrepreneurial content. It forms part of the national campaign “The Emirates: The Start-up Capital of the World,” launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to support business creation in strategic sectors of the national economy.

The graduation ceremony also included participants from the sixth season of the Faris Al Muhtawa programme, a flagship New Media Academy initiative supporting Arab digital talent, with a strong emphasis on the ethical and effective use of artificial intelligence.

Additionally, graduates from the Social Media Professional Programme, organised by the New Media Academy, received advanced training in global social media strategies, AI-driven marketing tools, campaign planning, audience analysis, and performance measurement, enabling them to build strong and effective digital brands.

The ceremony underscored the UAE’s continued commitment to nurturing digital talent and leveraging content creation as a force for positive impact, innovation, and global engagement.