100 Dreams UAE: the official link, key dates and a pitch-prep checklist

01 / 10

The official link

• https://www.1billionsummit.com/100dreams: the "Submit your dream" link from the "$1,000,000. 100 Dreams." block on 1billionsummit.com.
• It opens the official 100 Dreams page on HelpBnk: https://helpbnk.com/spaces/100-dreams/landing/100-dreams
• Announced on 15 October 2026 (WAM, the UAE's national news agency).

Official line on that page: "100 Dreams, funded by the National Media Authority, in partnership with the 1 Billion Followers Summit."

02 / 10

Key dates

The official page says: "Registering interest does not constitute an application or guarantee selection."

Don't mix it up: the same 1billionsummit.com homepage also shows a separate USD 1,000,000 film award whose deadline is 20 November 2026, the day 100 Dreams opens. They are different programmes.

03 / 10

What the 100 selected get (official wording)

"Here's what you'll receive if selected":

1. 01

   USD 10,000 towards your business (about AED 36,700)

2. 02

   A UAE company licence: "Support to establish your company in the UAE, without needing to relocate."

3. 03

   Golden Visa support: "Assistance with the Golden Visa process, subject to government approval." Support, not a guaranteed visa.

4. 04

   A trip to Dubai for the 1 Billion Followers Summit, 8-10 January 2027

5. 05

   A 6-week kickstart programme: "Work with Simon Squibb and the Dream team"

Only 100 people are selected, from applicants worldwide. Per the WAM report carried by ARN, the six-week programme runs after the summit and the funding is paid out after the summit.

04 / 10

Who qualifies (official wording)

• "Anyone with a dream to build a media business."
• Ideas in: content creation and creator-led businesses; entertainment and digital media; video, film and media production; media technology and platforms; innovative new media business models.
• "Open worldwide." "You must also be 18 or older."
• "You don't need to move to Dubai, but you must be able to":
  1. Establish your company in the UAE
  2. Travel to Dubai for the Summit
  3. Participate in the full 6-week programme

05 / 10

What is NOT published yet

Don't let anyone tell you otherwise until the official page says it:

• Selection criteria. Khaleej Times reports that criteria for the application process and financial requirements will be published later.

• Pitch format. The page only says "We'll email you when it's time to come back and pitch your dream". It does not say video, form or deck.

• Equity. No source says whether any equity is taken.

• Company or revenue requirements. Not stated either way. The programme talks about turning an idea into a business.

• Costs. No source says who pays licence or visa fees beyond the stated licence and visa "support", or whether the Dubai trip covers flights and a hotel.

06 / 10

How to register your interest today

1. 01

   Open 1billionsummit.com, find the "$1,000,000. 100 Dreams." block and click Submit your dream, or go straight to https://www.1billionsummit.com/100dreams.

2. 02

   Check the address bar: you should land on the 100 Dreams page on helpbnk.com (spaces/100-dreams).

3. 03

   Read "Here's what you'll receive if selected" and "Who is this for?" and confirm you meet all the "must be able to" points.

4. 04

   Click Register Your Interest. You'll need a HelpBnk account (email). Per HelpBnk's privacy policy, HelpBnk U.K Ltd holds that data on UK servers.

5. 05

   Put 20 November 2026 and 11 December 2026 in your calendar. Registering interest is not the application: come back and apply in that window.

07 / 10

Pitch-prep checklist (my suggestions, not official)

Selection criteria aren't out yet, so prepare the basics now:

• Your dream in one sentence
• Which official category it fits (one of the five above)
• Who it serves: one specific audience
• What you'd build in the six weeks
• Why you: your experience, your story, your unfair advantage
• A 60-second spoken version you can say without notes
• Proof of anything you've already made: links, numbers, past work
• Confirm you can set up a UAE company, travel to Dubai in January 2027 and do all six weeks

08 / 10

Copy-paste prompts

Paste them into any AI chat. Fill in the parts in square brackets.

You are helping me write a 60-second spoken pitch for 100 Dreams, a programme that will back 100 people with USD 10,000 each to build a media business. Use only the facts below and the details I give you. Do not invent selection criteria, a pitch format, fees or any other rule: none of these are published yet.

Official facts (100 Dreams page, checked 18 Oct 2026):
- Ideas they are looking for: content creation and creator-led businesses; entertainment and digital media; video, film and media production; media technology and platforms; innovative new media business models.
- Selected people must be able to establish a company in the UAE (no need to relocate), travel to Dubai for the 1 Billion Followers Summit (8-10 January 2027) and take part in the full 6-week kickstart programme.

My details:
- My idea in one sentence: [ ]
- Who it serves: [ ]
- What I have already made or proved (links, numbers, past work): [ ]
- Why me: [ ]
- What I would use USD 10,000 for (three items): [ ]

Write:
1. A 60-second spoken pitch of about 150 words, first person, plain English: a hook in the first sentence, the problem, my idea, who it serves, what I would build during the six weeks, proof I can deliver, and why me. No hype words and no claims I did not give you.
2. One sentence naming which official category my idea fits and why.
3. Three questions a selector might ask, each with a short honest answer based only on my details.
Mark anything you had to assume with [CHECK].

Act as a strict reviewer of my 100 Dreams readiness. Answer with a table: Item | Status (Ready / Gap / Unknown) | Next step.

Published requirements (official 100 Dreams page, checked 18 Oct 2026):
- 18 or older
- A media business idea in one of five categories: content creation and creator-led businesses; entertainment and digital media; video, film and media production; media technology and platforms; innovative new media business models
- Able to establish a company in the UAE (relocation not required)
- Able to travel to Dubai for the 1 Billion Followers Summit, 8-10 January 2027
- Able to take part in the full 6-week programme
- Applications open 20 November 2026 and close 11 December 2026

My pitch-prep checklist (my own, not official): a one-sentence dream; the official category it fits; who it serves; what I would build in the six weeks; why me; a 60-second spoken version; proof of anything I have already made.

Rules: selection criteria, pitch format, equity terms and fees are not published yet, so mark anything that depends on them as Unknown instead of guessing. End with my three most important next steps before 11 December 2026.

My details: [paste your idea, confirm you are 18+, your availability to travel to Dubai in January 2027, your availability for six weeks, and what you have made so far]

I received this message about 100 Dreams: [paste the message with your personal details removed].

Check it against these facts and list every red flag:
- The only official route is the 100 Dreams page linked from 1billionsummit.com (1billionsummit.com/100dreams, which opens the 100 Dreams page on helpbnk.com).
- Applications open 20 November 2026 and close 11 December 2026, so anything before 20 November can only be a register-interest link, not an application.
- The official 100 Dreams community rules say to submit applications and documents only through authorised 100 Dreams channels.
- No official source mentions an application fee.

Tell me whether to ignore it. Never suggest replying with ID, a passport, bank details or money.

09 / 10

Scam-safety rules

1. 01

   Apply only through the official site: 1billionsummit.com → 100 Dreams. Applications open 20 November 2026, so any "application form" before then is not the real thing.

2. 02

   Never send your ID or passport by DM. The official community rules say "Only submit applications and documents through authorised 100 Dreams channels", and not to share passports or identification documents publicly.

3. 03

   No fees. No official source mentions an application fee. Don't pay anyone who messages you about 100 Dreams.

4. 04

   My DM only sends links (this page and the official link). I will never ask you for documents, details or money.

10 / 10

Sources (checked 18 October 2026)

• Official 100 Dreams page: https://www.1billionsummit.com/100dreams (opens https://helpbnk.com/spaces/100-dreams/landing/100-dreams)
• 1 Billion Followers Summit homepage: https://www.1billionsummit.com/
• WAM, 15 Oct 2026: https://www.wam.ae/en/article/c2r7jel-billion-followers-summit-national-media-authority
• ARN News Centre (WAM report), 15 Oct 2026: https://www.arnnewscentre.ae/news/uae/1-billion-followers-summit-nma-launch-initiative-to-establish-100-content-businesses/
• Khaleej Times, 15 Oct 2026: https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/uae-100-dreams-content-creators-10000-business-funding-1-billion-followers-summit
• HelpBnk privacy policy: https://helpbnk.com/privacy-policy

Official links

• 100 Dreams official page (1 Billion Followers Summit)www.1billionsummit.com/100dreams ↗
• 100 Dreams on HelpBnk (official register-interest page)helpbnk.com/spaces/100-dreams/landing/100-dreams ↗
• WAM: 100 Dreams announcement (15 Oct 2026)www.wam.ae/en/article/c2r7jel-billion-followers-summit-national-media-authority ↗