Abdulla Al Hamed meets IFPI and global music leaders to advance dialogue on the future of music and cultural exchange
High-level meeting underscores the UAE’s emerging role as a global convening hub ahead of BRIDGE Summit 2025
Abu Dhabi, 21 November 2025
H.E. Abdulla Al Hamed, Chairman of BRIDGE, held a high-level meeting with senior representatives from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), the global organization representing more than 8,000 major labels like Sony Music, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group, along with independent and regional music leaders, as part of ongoing preparations for BRIDGE Summit 2025. The meeting took place during a period of intensified global debate about how culture, information and technology are evolving, and explored the future of music and cultural exchange within this shifting landscape.
BRIDGE Summit 2025, which will be held from 8 to 10 December at ADNEC in Abu Dhabi, is the world’s largest debut event for media, content and entertainment. The Summit brings together global figures across seven interconnected tracks, including Media, Music, Picture, Gaming, AI and Technology, Marketing and Brands, and the Creator Economy. It is designed to examine the forces reshaping how creative industries produce, distribute and influence culture worldwide.
The meeting brought together Victoria Oakley, CEO of IFPI, John Nolan, CFO of IFPI, Rawan Al-Mansoori, IFPI Regional Director for MENA, Patrick Boulos, CEO of Universal Music Group MENA, Rami Mohsen, Managing Director of Sony Music MENA, and Ahmed Nureni, General Manager of Warner Music MENA.
A conversation grounded in global cultural shifts
Discussions focused on how technological change is affecting the ways music is created, distributed and performed. Participants examined the expanding role of artificial intelligence in composition and curation, the influence of short-form platforms on global listening habits, the rise of immersive audio formats and the growing visibility of MENA artists in international markets. The conversation also explored how rights, ownership and cultural identity evolve as content travels across borders at unprecedented speed.
Their discussions explored how technological change is reshaping creation, distribution, discovery, and performance. Participants examined the expanding role of artificial intelligence in composition and curation, the influence of short-form platforms on global listening habits, the growing prominence of immersive audio formats, and the increasing reach of MENA artists within international markets. The dialogue also touched on how rights, ownership, and cultural identity are evolving as content circulates with unprecedented speed and fluidity.
H.E. Abdulla Al Hamed affirmed that the United Arab Emirates, guided by its wise leadership, does not seek merely to keep pace with the global creative industries, but to lead them and redefine their standards. He noted that these industries represent a core pillar of soft power and a vital driver of the knowledge economy. From this standpoint, the UAE is working to build strategic partnerships with leading international institutions to ensure a sustainable environment for creators and to strengthen global investment.
His Excellency said: “We are committed to expanding the horizons of regional and international cooperation through strategic partnerships with IFPI and other global federations and organisations, to advance the economic growth of the media and entertainment sectors and to support local creativity and artists in reaching new markets.”
He added that these meetings represent an important step toward developing shared policies for data management and analysing the performance of creative industries, contributing to a clear roadmap for their development in the UAE and reinforcing the nation’s position as a leading destination for media and music regionally and globally.
H.E., Chairman of BRIDGE, pointed out that music is one of the deepest and most enduring forms of human expression, yet the ways in which it is produced, discovered, and shared are undergoing rapid transformations driven by digital innovation and artificial intelligence. He emphasised that this gathering with IFPI leadership and regional music industry figures comes at a moment when cultural and technological shifts are overlapping in unprecedented ways, underscoring the need for an open international platform that brings together diverse expertise and perspectives.
He concluded by stressing that BRIDGE Summit 2025 has been designed to serve as this global open space for dialogue—one that empowers creators, institutions, producers, and cultural thinkers to shape the future of creative and musical exchange.
Within this context, IFPI’s engagement highlights the UAE’s increasing relevance as a global forum for cultural dialogue. IFPI brings deep insight into global listening habits, digital transformation and the economics of rights and ownership. Its involvement reflects the region’s growing influence in international conversations about innovation, technological change and the future of creative work.
The meeting reinforced the UAE’s role as a neutral and forward-looking forum where artists, technologists, cultural organizations, policymakers and industry leaders can address shared questions about the future of creative expression. It also marked an important moment in the lead-up to BRIDGE Summit 2025, reflecting the Summit’s goal of convening a broad international community to explore how culture, technology and society intersect in a rapidly changing world.
As one of the Summit’s central pillars, the Music Track will bring together artists, producers, technologists, rights specialists, cultural thinkers and platform leaders to examine the future of authorship in an AI-influenced environment, the shifting relationship between creativity and technology, the emergence of new experiential formats and the continuing role of music in fostering cross-cultural understanding. The track will also explore the increasingly fluid boundaries between music, film, gaming, digital performance, fashion and creator-led storytelling, demonstrating how contemporary cultural forms influence one another across disciplines and geographies.
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Attached Photos:
01-07. His Excellency Abdulla Al Hamed meets IFPI and global music leaders to advance dialogue on the future of music and cultural exchange