Hundreds of key influencers from the global media industry will gather at the Abu Dhabi Media Summit 2013 to examine the latest trends and challenges in the sector, with a focus on leveraging opportunities in the digital age.

The Summit, now in its fourth year, is being held under the patronage of H.H. General Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. It is powered by twofour54, the commercial arm of the Media Zone Authority - Abu Dhabi, and will take place at the Yas Viceroy from October 22-24.

The three-day, invitation-only event has established itself as an essential date on the global media leadership calendar.

The theme of this year's Summit is "Levering the Digital Age". The Forum will analyse the rapid transformation of the media industry and how they can capitalise on opportunities in a fully-networked, media-centric world.

H.E. Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman Abu Dhabi Media Summit and Chairman Abu Dhabi Media Zone Authority:

"The Abu Dhabi Media Summit has become one of the leading media industry thought-leadership platforms worldwide with a particular focus on the regional relevance of global industry trends. The Summit's focus on media entrepreneurship and youth in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region will provide Arab youth and students the opportunity to engage with media leaders and fuel the increasing appeal of the media industry as a sophisticated career choice, which is critical to Abu Dhabi's long-term ambitions for a sustainable media industry."

The Summit will bring together a distinguished selection of top-tier media leaders. Confirmed speakers include representatives from Twitter, Payleven, edX, Walt Disney International, Viacom, Discovery Networks International, Wipro, Codecademy, ArabNet and Oasis500. Speakers from previous years have included business magnate and philanthropist Bill Gates; News Corp and 21st Century Fox chairman Rupert Murdoch; Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt and world-renowned film director James Cameron.

Research findings on new media industry developments and trends from leading global management consulting firms Booz & Co. and McKinsey & Co. will be unveiled during the Summit.

The Summit features a combination of high-profile public sessions, closed-door discussions and private conversations. Sessions will focus amongst others on the state of the digital planet; the explosion of social gaming; people's television viewing experiences and habits; and the growth rate of smartphones.