Abu Dhabi: The inaugural BRIDGE Summit has reinforced the United Arab Emirates’ position as a global hub for media and content industries, emerging as an international platform that integrates media, economy and investment, while delivering a direct impact that supports economic diversification and enhances the UAE’s attractiveness to global capital.

Hosted in Abu Dhabi, the Summit represented an advanced model for next-generation global events, moving beyond the traditional framework of media conferences to become a strategic platform that redefines media as a productive economic sector and a key driver of investment and future industries.

The Summit recorded more than 40,000 participants from 182 countries, including global media leaders, executives of major international companies, investors, content creators, artists and innovators, reflecting its international weight and cross-sectoral appeal.

The BRIDGE Summit programme featured panel discussions, workshops and keynote sessions addressing the future of media, video journalism, generative artificial intelligence and its ethics, the creative economy, and media in the Global South, alongside showcases of the latest production technologies, virtual reality and augmented reality.

On the economic front, the Summit evolved into a strategic investment platform generating tangible economic value, with 468 companies registered through the Summit’s Business Centre. Of these, 100 companies participated in specialised sessions, 56 companies obtained their licences immediately, while 55 companies remain under review. In addition, 48 agreements and deals were concluded, led by an investment valued at US$200 million.

The large-scale international participation also contributed to stimulating the hospitality, logistics and services sectors, generating additional income streams and injecting liquidity and momentum into the local economy. This strong turnout underscores the UAE’s attractive investment environment and its ability to draw long-term capital and translate global interest into projects established on the ground.

The Summit further resulted in the signing of dozens of media and investment memoranda of understanding, the launch of international initiatives and awards in video journalism and media innovation, as well as training and capacity-building programmes for young media professionals, and cross-border research and media collaboration projects.

The outcomes of the BRIDGE Summit reaffirmed the UAE’s success in integrating media with economic and investment strategies, marking a shift in media from a transmitter of events to a creator of impact, and strengthening the country’s standing as a global centre for content creation and media innovation.

The Summit concluded with participants emphasising the importance of ensuring its sustainability and transforming it into a permanent international platform that contributes to shaping the future of global media, reinforcing the UAE’s role as a nation that does not wait for the future, but actively shapes it—economically and through media.