The eighth edition of the Dubai International Content Market, held on November 4–5 at Madinat Jumeirah, brought together 900 participants from 55 countries, 94 exhibiting companies from 19 countries, and 230 buyers from 41 countries.
This year’s event saw the participation of regional pavilions from Türkiye (Istanbul Chamber of Commerce), Korea (KOCCA and JCIA), and Russia (Roskino), along with exhibitors and buyers from Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Gulf.
The DICM Talks program featured over 30 influential speakers exploring the latest trends driving global content innovation.
Day 1 opened with “Unlocking Sports ROI: An 8-Step Demand-Driven Framework” by Parrot Analytics; it continued with the panel “Ramadan and Beyond: The Year-Round Content Formula for Success,” led by Sarah Btaddini with Bilal Dayani, Ali Ghamlouch, and Dina Korayem; followed by “Inside the Mind of a Commissioner,” featuring Tariq Al Ibrahim of MBC Group. One of the day’s most attended session was “Stories in Seconds: How Micro-Drama and Social Platforms Are Redefining Storytelling.” The day concluded with Fabric’s session: “Bridging Worlds: How MENA Productions Are Going Global” and the Spotlight Stories Pitching Challenge, where emerging creators presented their projects to industry leaders.
Day 2 featured “Learnings from Ramadan: Shifts in Media and Streaming Behavior” by IPSOS, and “Why Global Markets Should Pay Attention to Arabic Cinema” with Film Clinic’s Mohamed Hefzy, AFM’s Ali F. Mostafa, Katara Studios’ Hussein Fakhri, and Front Row Filmed Entertainment’s Gianluca Chakra. The day also spotlighted sessions by Rise Studios and Parrot Analytics on regional creativity, as well as a discussion on “Women Shaping the Future of MENA Content.”
The 2026 edition aims to expand the DICM Talks program with more specialized panels and training sessions, enhance the market’s meeting platform, and introduce new networking formats focused on co-productions and emerging technologies.
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