Award-winning artists and creators including Raphaël and Aurélien Froissart, Wyclef Jean, Mitra Darab, Mohamed Diab, and Ahmed Albasheer will lead a series of high-profile conversations on how creative work is made, shared, and sustained at BRIDGE Summit 2025, taking place from December 8-10 at ADNEC Abu Dhabi. The world’s largest debut media event will welcome more than 430 speakers, 300 exhibitors, and over 60,000 participants across three days.

Creative control and the new artist economy

Three sessions explore what it takes for creators to maintain ownership in an industry transformed by technology, platforms, and audience dynamics.

In ‘Own Your Audience and Rewrite the Rules’, Wyclef Jean, Grammy-winning artist and composer known for his work across music, tech, and culture, joins Jaeson Ma, CEO and Co-Founder of East West Ventures and a driving force behind 88rising and EST Media. Together they break down how artists build sustainable careers outside traditional systems-examining streaming economics, direct fan relationships, and tools that return control to creators.

In the fireside chat ‘Bridging Cultures Through K-Pop’, Mitra Darab, President of HYBE x Geffen, discusses how one of the most ambitious global collaborations in music is redefining superstardom. Drawing on experience with artists such as Madonna and Tom Petty, she explains how HYBE’s model of artist development, global branding, and fan engagement shaped KATSEYE, a global girl group trained through K-Pop’s high-discipline ecosystem.

The keynote ‘Programming Music for the Creator Economy’ features Tobias Hoss, SVP of Operations at Lunar X, who explores how music has become a programmable layer of digital life-and how AI-powered curation and creator-first production are driving scalable music innovation.

Performance and storytelling in a changing world

Three fireside sessions examine how artists sustain craft, presence, and meaning in an age dominated by platforms, algorithms, and rapid content cycles.

In ‘Becoming Someone Else’, Syrian actor Samer Ismail reflects on the discipline required to create emotionally resonant performances-from his breakout role in Omar to recent work in The Agent and Cello. He explores why preparation, depth, and presence remain essential as AI tools and digital saturation challenge traditional acting.

In ‘Stories That Cross Borders’, Egyptian filmmaker Mohamed Diab-known for Cairo 678, Clash, and Marvel’s Moon Knight-discusses how culturally rooted narratives can reach global audiences without compromise. He examines how Arab filmmakers can create work that is deeply local yet universally meaningful.

In ‘A Satirist’s Survival Playbook’, Iraqi comedian, journalist, and director Ahmed Albasheer demonstrates how satire can expose power and challenge narratives. Reflecting on assassination attempts, censorship, and building one of the Arab world’s most influential satire shows, he examines the role of humor under pressure.

Music across borders

Three sessions explore how sound, language, and emotion continue to connect people across cultures in an increasingly fragmented media environment.

The panel ‘Brothers in Rhythm’ brings together classical musicians Raphaël and Aurélien Froissart, whose viral performances have introduced millions to classical music across digital platforms. Their discussion examines how social media can amplify emotion and craft without diminishing artistic integrity.

In ‘The Universal Language Connecting a Divided World’, Imad Mesdoua, Director of Government Affairs for Spotify in the Middle East and Africa, explores how music fosters empathy across identities and geographies-and how platforms, data, and live performance strengthen that connective force.

In the panel ‘Sounds That Speak Every Language’, Arabic music icons Aziz Maraka and Faia Younan discuss how their commitment to language and identity has allowed their music to resonate globally. They explore how authenticity-rather than chasing trends-turns local sound into a universal language.

Building success

Two sessions highlight what it takes to transform talent into long-term strategy-and how platforms decide which voices to elevate.

In ‘How to Go from Zero to a Million Streams’, George Karalexis (Co-Founder & CEO, Ten2 Media), Damon Bunetta (CEO & Co-Founder, Big Family Music), and Gordan Dillard (Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Good Day Management) unpack the mechanics behind breakthrough music careers, from publishing and promotion to storytelling and fan discovery.

In ‘Yango Play’s Blueprint for Working with Talents’, Joe Al Khawand, Head of MENA Content Production at Yango Play, offers a behind-the-scenes view of how one of the region’s fastest-growing platforms collaborates with creators, studios, and brands-including what makes a pitch work and how regional insight shapes creative direction.

The future of streaming and AI storytelling

Two sessions look ahead to how platforms, technology, and generative tools will reshape the next chapter of entertainment.

In ‘An Era of Reinvention for On-Demand’, Sunil Patel (CEO, Whisper), Maaz Sheikh (CEO, STARZPLAY), and Christie Marchese (CEO, Kinema; EVP Entertainment Partnerships, Publicis Media) assess how streaming platforms are shifting strategies amid rising costs and slowing growth-moving toward smarter monetization, regional storytelling, and deliberate programming.

The panel ‘Cinema From Prompt to Premiere’ brings together Alex Mashrabov (CEO, Higgsfield AI), Peter Hollens (CEO & Founder, Powerhouse Partners), and Uzair Merchant (film director and designer) to discuss how generative AI is transforming filmmaking. The conversation explores what creativity means when high-quality production becomes widely accessible-and why voice, authenticity, and cultural depth still matter.

These talks form part of a 300+ session program that underscores BRIDGE Summit’s scale and ambition.

BRIDGE Summit is developed under the mandate of BRIDGE Alliance - an independent, non-profit global organization that brings together leaders, policymakers, CEOs, investors, creators, thinkers, and media professionals on a unified platform for collaboration. The Alliance works to strengthen the foundations of a more interconnected global media ecosystem by facilitating the exchange of expertise, aligning shared priorities, and supporting meaningful, constructive cooperation across borders and sectors. Its vision is rooted in advancing credibility, trust, and transparency across the industry, while elevating global media standards in ways that support responsible innovation and reinforce the role of media as a trusted driver of economic, social, and cultural development. Established in line with the UAE’s vision to enhance global cooperation and innovation, the Alliance affirms the nation’s position as a hub for global dialogue. Its mission further contributes to strengthening the media sector’s contribution to national strategies and the global knowledge economy.

Registration is now open via the official BRIDGE Summit website https://www.bridgesummit.com/en/ and through the BRIDGE App, the event’s unified digital companion connecting participants to schedules, speakers, and real-time updates.