22 October 2026, Dubai, UAE: The Emirates Literature Foundation, organiser of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Fiker Institute, formalising a new partnership to develop the Current Affairs programme for Emirates LitFest 2027.
Over the last five years, Fiker Institute has established itself as a leading platform for independent dialogue and thought leadership on regional and global affairs focused on regional scholarship, research, publications, and public and policy programming. For the Festival's Current Affairs partnership, we will draw on Fiker Institute's regional, intellectual, and thematic expertise in combination with the Foundation's expertise in literary and festival programming to bring conversations about the state of the world to a wider audience.
At a moment when the world, and particularly the region, finds itself at a crossroads, Emirates LitFest 2027 will invite audiences to look both ahead and back: to consider where we are heading, and how we got here. The partnership will create opportunities for thoughtful discussion around subjects including geopolitics, social change, culture, identity, technology, and the future of the region.
The MoU was signed by Ahlam Bolooki, CEO of Emirates Literature Foundation and Director of Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, and Dubai Abulhoul, Founder & CEO of Fiker Institute, at Fiker Institute in Dubai.
Ahlam Bolooki, CEO of Emirates Literature Foundation and Director of Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, said: "We are living through a period of such rapid change that what is current affairs today may already feel outdated a month from now, let alone six months. For Emirates LitFest, that makes this partnership particularly exciting. It is not simply about reading the room; it is about predicting the room – identifying the questions that are beginning to emerge, the developments that may shape what comes next, and the voices we need to hear as those conversations evolve.
I can think of no better partner to be a guiding light. I've long admired the work of Dubai and her impact, and I'm proud of the partnership and the opportunity to work together and deliver something meaningful and necessary."
Dubai Abulhoul, Founder of Fiker Institute, said: "We are delighted to partner with the Emirates Literature Foundation on the Current Affairs programme for Emirates LitFest 2027. At Fiker Institute, we have always believed that literature and current affairs share the same instinct, to make sense of the world as it actually is, not as we wish it were. This partnership with the Emirates Literature Foundation lets us bring Fiker Institute's research and global perspective directly into one of the region's most important cultural platforms, and to show festival audiences that understanding our moment doesn't require choosing between rigor and accessibility. We're proud to help shape a Current Affairs programme that reflects the depth and urgency of the conversations the region, and the world, needs to be having."
The partnership will extend beyond the Current Affairs programme, with Fiker Institute also supporting the Festival's youth programme, creating opportunities for university students to engage in discussions around the state of Arabic and Arab literature, as well as other themes relevant to young people and the region.
The partnership reflects a shared commitment to creating space for thoughtful discussion, critical thinking, and a deeper understanding of the forces shaping the region and the wider world. By bringing leading thinkers, writers, and voices into conversation, Emirates LitFest and Fiker Institute will invite audiences to explore the questions that matter now, while discovering new perspectives on the challenges and opportunities ahead.
The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature 2027 will take place from 14–20 April 2027 at InterContinental Dubai Festival City, bringing together leading authors, thinkers, and speakers from the UAE and around the world.