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1BFS Day 2 Updates: "Choose Impact" & Emaar's IPO "Stupidest Idea"
Sunday, January 11, 2026
Happy Sunday everyone!
Day 2 at 1 Billion Followers Summit in one word was “inspiring”. UAE’s Minister of State Reem al Hashimy, Will Smith, Mufti Menk, Lara Trump and many others highlighted the power of creating content with purpose. Meanwhile, Emaar founder Mohamed Alabbar, in his usual candid style, called IPO his ‘stupidest idea’ and reiterated the “no meetings” and “no marketing” rules.
“Choose Impact,” Chairman of the UAE National Media Authority Sheikh Abdulla Al Hamed at 1BFS
On day 2 of 1 Billion Followers Summit, Chairman of the UAE National Media Authority Sheikh Abdulla Al Hamed urged Emirati content creators to act as digital ambassadors, safeguarding the UAE’s image through credibility, strategic communication, and constructive dialogue. Speaking at the 1 Billion Followers Summit 2026, he stressed that real achievements, unity, and values are the strongest response to misinformation. “While others choose rhetoric, the UAE chooses impact,” he said.
UAE's Minister of State for International Cooperation Reem Al Hashimy urged content creators to humanise global crises, saying suffering must never be reduced to statistics or politics. Speaking at the 1 Billion Followers Summit, she stressed that empathy-driven storytelling, accuracy, and “making kindness viral” are vital to sustaining humanitarian action and global engagement. “When we talk about human beings suffering, there is nothing political about that.”
Daughter-in-law of US President Donald Trump and American TV personality Lara Trump, apart from praising Dubai for becoming the hub of culture and business for the world, warned that social media outrage should not override the rule of law, cautioning against viral narratives shaping legal judgments before investigations conclude. Speaking at the 1 Billion Followers Summit, she stressed accountability, media responsibility, and the dangers of misinformation, AI manipulation, and pressure-driven online influence. “It is dangerous when cases are tried in the court of public opinion rather than through the justice system.”
Hollywood acting legend Will Smith said Dubai transformed his relationship with fear, inspiring personal growth and creativity. Speaking ahead of his Nat Geo series Pole to Pole, he described skydiving in Dubai as life-changing, crediting the city’s audacity, vision, and energy for pushing him beyond limits and awakening his creative spirit. “When I land in Dubai, I wake up. I’m ready to create.”
Meanwhile, Zimbabwean Islamic scholar and preacher Mufti Menk’s session focused on spirituality but his answer to people struggling with image issues due to social media was, “You should look in the mirror and accept yourself as you are. The world will eventually follow. You don’t need to compete with people who, sometimes, don’t actually have what they are showing on social media.”
The 1 Billion Followers Summit 2026 is themed "Content for Good" and is organized by the UAE Government Media Office under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.
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Emaar's Alabbar Calls Going Public "Stupidest Idea"
What’s it About?
Mohamed Alabbar, founder of Emaar Properties and the developer behind the Burj Khalifa, delivered a candid assessment of his company's public listing journey at Dubai's 1 Billion Followers Summit on Saturday. In a striking admission, Alabbar called going public over two decades ago "the stupidest idea we ever did," describing the quarterly financial reporting requirements as feeling like "stripping naked every 90 days" before shareholders.
Why it Matters?
However, the billionaire developer acknowledged that public market scrutiny ultimately made Emaar stronger by imposing unforgiving discipline. "Shareholders just want their profits to go up. They don't care about excuses," he said, noting the market shows "no mercy" for underperformance.
What’s Next?
Despite recording AED61 billion ($16.6 billion) in property sales during the first nine months of 2025, a 22 percent year-on-year increase, Alabbar remains committed to aggressive cost-cutting. He has eliminated entire teams, banned corporate meetings across September, and even reduced tea varieties in his office. "No meetings, nothing. No Microsoft Teams, no Zoom. It is all garbage," he declared, preferring direct phone calls for urgent matters.
Looking ahead, Alabbar identified the UAE as Emaar's biggest growth opportunity, while approaching US expansion cautiously after a previous $1.2 billion loss taught him valuable lessons about long-term planning.
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