CMG attends 2026 Arab Media Summit in Dubai

CMG attended the 2026 Arab Media Summit in Dubai, joining a broad line-up of regional and international media, technology and cultural organisations present at the event. The summit took place alongside a wave of industry announcements and activities across the UAE, where companies and public bodies disclosed investments, partnerships and programme launches ranging from technology deployments to cultural showcases.

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The Arab Media Summit provided a forum for legacy media groups, broadcasters and technology suppliers to present new initiatives and partnerships. Delegates at the summit were able to situate media-sector developments against a busy UAE business calendar: recent corporate disclosures in the market highlighted sizeable capital allocations and strategic moves across aviation, energy, telecoms and culture.

Details emerging in and around the summit included:

• Etihad Airways reported a record AED 2.6 billion profit for 2025 and continues network changes, including the launch of the first service to Charlotte and ramped-up Kabul flights.
• du announced an enhanced connectivity partnership with Huawei to deliver a 10gbps network experience and approved a cash dividend of AED 2.9 billion for 2025.
• Dubai South awarded an AED 2 billion contract for the Hayat Project, underlining ongoing infrastructure commitments in the emirate.
• Emirates SkyCargo deployed two additional freighters to India, while Emirates’ iconic A380 returned to Dubai with Starlink Wi‑Fi onboard.
• ABB said it will invest approximately $75 million in India to expand manufacturing and R&D capacity.
• Etihad Guest adjusted its loyalty rules, reducing tier qualifications by 25% to ease access to benefits.
• Technology rollouts included the arrival of XERF in Dubai and the launch of Biolite Clinic’s regional operations, plus Kerno’s sovereign compute platform showcased at MIITE.
• Cultural programming and festivals continued: a Peking Opera performance was staged in Abu Dhabi, Dubai Culture released a new animated series 'Badr Al Musahar' and the Dubai Youth Performing Arts Festival opened an international call.
• Commercial vehicle and mobility developments were prominent: ART Elite Car Rental expanded its fleet with more than 300 Jetour vehicles, and Drive EV launched an AI‑powered buyer intelligence platform for electric vehicles.

Speakers and delegates at the summit emphasised the cross‑sector linkages between media, technology and commerce. With telecoms operators rolling out higher‑capacity networks and aviation groups reporting multi‑billion‑dirham results and fleet adjustments, media distribution and content monetisation strategies are expected to adapt rapidly in the near term.

Outlook: As the region positions itself for further digital transformation, companies at the summit signalled a mix of capital deployment, network upgrades and cultural investment that will shape media and tech ecosystems through 2026. For CMG and peers, the immediate priorities will include leveraging enhanced connectivity such as du’s 10gbps plans, aligning content with new long‑haul flight routes and using partnerships to scale regional operations amid sustained project spending such as Dubai South’s AED 2 billion Hayat Project contract and corporate investment flows like ABB’s ~$75 million commitment in India.