Even more influencers than usual are flocking to Dubai this weekend for the 1 Billion Followers Summit that will take over the city’s financial district, the Museum of the Future, and government hub Emirates Towers.
Touted as the world’s largest gathering for content creators, the three-day event kicked off Friday with 30,000 attendees expected — including YouTuber MrBeast, Republican figurehead Lara Trump, and Dubai resident and former soccer star Rio Ferdinand.
Dubai’s reputation as a paradise for sun-seekers and digital nomads has been burnished on TikTok and Instagram, and in recent years the UAE has sought to formalize content creation as a profession, bringing it into the fold of its economic transformation drive. Since last year, influencers have needed a government permit before posting promotional content. Some view the move as a positive step that could accelerate payments from large companies to individual creators and streamline taxation and other administrative processes. Saudi Arabia similarly mandates a $4,000 fee for a three-year influencer license.