Global Media Leaders Converge in Abu Dhabi Today for BRIDGE Summit 2025 BRIDGE Summit is the largest debut media, content, and entertainment event in the world.

BRIDGE Summit 2025 starts today (December 8) in Abu Dhabi, welcoming more than 60,000 participants from 132 countries. The three-day summit features over 430 speakers and more than 300 sessions and activities, bringing together creators, policymakers, investors, technologists, media institutions, and cultural leaders.

Leadership reflections from BRIDGE Alliance

H.E. Abdulla bin Mohamed bin Butti Al Hamed, Chairman of BRIDGE Alliance, welcomed participants to BRIDGE Summit 2025 in Abu Dhabi, which runs for three days.

He said: "The summit aims to reinforce its role in global media as a channel for cooperation across communities. The strength of media and the quality of its content shape social progress, support understanding and peace, and help build a sustainable and stable future."

Dr. Al Hamed added: "The summit brings together media leaders and content producers to exchange ideas at a time that requires coordinated action. Major challenges now require shared global effort, especially in a sector that shapes public awareness and informs future planning."

He concluded: "In an interconnected world, no one is insulated from shifts in media and content. We need aligned perspectives and joint action to channel these shifts toward fair and sustainable development and to strengthen media responsibility in service of humanity."

H.E. Dr. Jamal Mohammed Obaid Al Kaabi, Vice Chairman of BRIDGE Alliance, said: "The inaugural edition of BRIDGE Summit is a step toward a media space that is more transparent and flexible. The international participation of media institutions, decision-makers, and experts positions the summit as a new platform during a period of change in modern media."

He added: "The shifts underway in the media sector are rapid. Institutions face a need to prepare, adapt, and build the tools required to keep pace. BRIDGE Summit was created to address these discussions through dialogue that examines challenges, future opportunities, and trust across global media."

The Vice Chairman continued: "The summit offers a shared space to build partnerships and develop cooperation models that use current changes for the benefit of all, while ensuring media can serve communities with clarity and responsibility."

Voices from the BRIDGE Alliance Board of Directors

HRH Princess Lamia bint Majid Al Saud, Secretary General of Alwaleed Philanthropies, said: "As we stand at a turning point in the global media landscape, our responsibility is to build an ecosystem where innovation is guided by conscience, and where storytelling supports humanity. BRIDGE Summit 2025 reflects a commitment to ethical media, responsible AI, and shared values that safeguard human dignity and rebuild trust in a time of change."

She added: "In a world where information moves quickly, we must ensure that creativity is anchored in integrity, and that technology supports inclusion rather than division. When accountability shapes how stories are created and shared, media can support peace, understanding, and sustainable impact."

H.E. Macky Sall, Former President of Senegal, said: "The BRIDGE Summit comes at a time when polarized debates, competing narratives, and rapid shifts in information production test our collective ability for dialogue and mutual understanding. Restoring trust requires more than technological innovation; it calls for renewed commitment to dialogue across cultures."

He added: "These same technologies also offer opportunities to amplify diverse voices and connect communities across borders. BRIDGE can play a role by convening leaders, creators, and thinkers to encourage cooperation and learning."

Richard Attias, Strategic Advisor to the Chairman of BRIDGE Alliance, said: "The BRIDGE Summit examines the current media landscape at a time when narratives are fragmented and increasingly shaped by algorithms. It challenges how power, influence, and responsibility operate in today's media environment."

He added: "The summit explores the gap between current media systems and public expectations and examines how trust and accountability can be rebuilt."

Maryam bin Fahad, Managing Director of BRIDGE Alliance, said: "BRIDGE Summit opens in Abu Dhabi at a time when the media and content sector requires reassessment. The participation in the first edition shows that countries now treat the industry as a contributor to knowledge, economic growth, and cultural identity."

She added: "The summit brings together policymakers, creators, investors, and technology specialists to assess structural challenges and discuss models for cooperation."

She concluded: "The BRIDGE Alliance considers partnerships essential to shaping the next phase of the media sector. What begins today is a forum aimed at producing practical outcomes for the industry."

Jessica Sibley, CEO of TIME, said: "Trust in media is under pressure, audiences are fragmented, and technology continues to reshape how people access information. Addressing this moment requires collaboration and a shared commitment to credible content."

She added: "By bringing together leaders across media, technology, and culture, the Summit supports discussions on standards, transparency, and future industry practices."

Sanford Climan, Founder and CEO of Entertainment Media Ventures, said: "Technology now enables instant communication across many platforms, increasing access to information, data, and opinion. At the same time, it has made verification and context more complex."

He added: "The BRIDGE Summit provides a forum for global leaders to discuss how digital media platforms and society will interact and how to work toward constructive outcomes."

Dr. Julie Gichuru, President & CEO of Africa Leadership and Dialogue Institute, said: "The expansion of the creator-driven media economy has reshaped influence and information flows. This shift requires new frameworks to manage volatility and responsibility."

She added: "For Africa, BRIDGE provides an opportunity to contribute to global dialogue and project diverse perspectives."

Daniil Shuleyko, CEO of Yango Group, said: "Changes in how people consume information, alongside AI-driven distribution and evolving regulations, require new forms of collaboration across industries."

He added: "The value of BRIDGE lies in convening creators, platforms, technologists, and policymakers to discuss shared standards and responsibilities."

Janet Yang, Former President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, said: "Ways of producing, distributing, and engaging with stories are changing due to technological acceleration and shifting audience behavior."

She added: "BRIDGE offers a platform for leaders across media and creative industries to discuss shared standards and cooperation across regions."

Event details

BRIDGE Summit 2025 runs from December 8-10, 2025 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) and is organized by BRIDGE Alliance, a global independent non-profit organization focused on the media, content, and entertainment ecosystem.

The summit will welcome more than 60,000 participants from 132 countries and host 430 speakers across more than 300 sessions. The program brings together leaders from creative, media, and entertainment industries, alongside stakeholders from technology, finance, culture, and the creative economy.

Registration is available via www.bridgesummit.com/en and through the BRIDGE mobile application, which provides access to schedules, speakers, and event updates.