1 Billion Followers Summit will back 100 media start-ups with $10,000 each
100 Dreams, a $1 million programme with creator Simon Squibb, will fund 100 aspiring media entrepreneurs and help them set up a company in the UAE. Applications open on 20 November.
The 1 Billion Followers Summit has launched 100 Dreams, a $1 million programme for people who want to build a media business, with content creator Simon Squibb, chief executive of Dream Group, and with the support of the National Media Authority. The summit is organised by the UAE Government Media Office. The launch was reported by Gulf News and Khaleej Times on 15 October.
One hundred people will be chosen, and each will receive $10,000. They also get help licensing a company in the UAE, help applying for a Golden Visa (subject to government approval), a trip to Dubai for the summit in January, and a six-week kickstart programme with Squibb and his team.
The programme is open worldwide to anyone aged 18 or over, and winners do not have to move to Dubai. Ideas can be in content creation, creator-led businesses, entertainment and digital media, video and film production, media technology and platforms, or new media business models. The fifth 1 Billion Followers Summit runs in Dubai from 8 to 10 January 2027 under the theme "Content for Good".
Applications open on 20 November through the Joindream website. To be eligible you must be able to set up a company in the UAE, travel to Dubai for the summit and complete all six weeks of the programme. The organisers have not yet said how winners will be picked or when the list closes.