Now in its 18th edition, the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature cements Dubai’s place on the global literary map. A week of dialogue, ideas, and voices that offer a lens through which to read the world today.
The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature continues at the InterContinental Dubai Festival City through January 27, reaffirming its position as the Middle East’s most expansive and ambitious celebration of the written and spoken word. Over nearly two decades, the festival has evolved into a cultural anchor, bringing together writers, thinkers, poets, and public intellectuals from across the world while remaining rooted in the city that hosts it.
This year’s programme, themed The Stories That Shape a Human-Centric Future, leans into literature’s enduring ability to frame how we see ourselves and the world around us. With more than 200 speakers from over 40 countries, the festival spans fiction, poetry, history, memoir, and cultural commentary, creating a programme that feels both global in reach and intimate in intent. The emphasis is on dialogue, with stories that ask questions, invite reflection, and insist on empathy.
Among the most closely watched sessions are those featuring internationally revered voices. Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka brought intellectual weight to early conversations, reflecting on literature as a force for cultural memory and social change. Jung Chang, best known for Wild Swans, drew large audiences with discussions on history, identity, and personal narrative. For younger readers and families, Oliver Jeffers offered moments of levity and imagination, while crime fiction fans turned out in force for Ruth Ware, whose psychological suspense continues to command a global readership.
The festival’s centre of gravity also lies closer to home. Emirati and regional voices remain integral to the programme, with poets such as Shamma Al Bastaki and spoken-word artist Afra Atiq offering perspectives shaped by place, language, and lived experience. Their presence reflects a literary culture in the UAE that is increasingly confident, outward-looking, and self-defined.
The opening ceremony set the tone for the week ahead. Hosted by Alyaa Al Mansoori, it blended poetry, music, and performance, with contributions from the National Youth Strings Camerata and school choirs, an early reminder that storytelling here extends beyond the printed page. A ceremonial procession featuring Dubai Police horses and students added a distinctly local cadence to the proceedings.
Beyond the headline conversations, the festival’s ecosystem continues to expand through LitFest After Hours, where comedy, music, and experimental formats take over, as well as a robust slate of family-focused workshops and interactive sessions designed to cultivate the next generation of readers.
As Ahlam Bolooki, CEO of the Emirates Literature Foundation, notes, the festival is “about more than books—it’s about hope, human connection, and the stories that help us make sense of the lives we live.”
In a city defined by global ambition and layered identities, the Emirates Literature Festival stands as a reminder that stories remain one of the most enduring ways we connect across cultures, generations, and ideas.
