February 04, 2022: The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature kicked off its 14th year at a brand new location in Al Habtoor City, with a specifically curated 'Emirati Day' that put Emirati authors and figures in the spotlight.
 
Key Highlights:

Omar Saif Ghobash In a powerful spotlight, Omar Saif Ghobash reflected on fatherhood, his own family, and how they both influenced his first book Letters to a Young Muslim as well as the novel he is working on right now. 
  
Mohammed Saeed Harib, the creative mind behind the popular Emirati animation sensation Freej talked about his upcoming projects — including an upcoming feature film on the renowned poet Khalil Ghibran — and discussed the possibility of a Freej feature film!
 
An inspiring session called 'Careers of the Future' discussed what skills the next generation of leaders will need to focus on, featuring HE Saeed Al Nazari, Dr. Abdulla Bin Ahmad AlShaikh, Dr. Tiffany Delport and Isobel Abulhoul.
 
Khalaf Al Habtoor, the Chairman of the Al Habtoor Group, looked back on his career and shared the many political and economical changes he witnessed during the UAE's growth as a country. 

A fascinating session titled 'Future of the Creative Economy' featuring Waheeda AlHadhrami, Giuseppe Moscatello, and Noora Al Awadhi looked at what role literature and the arts will play in the UAE's future, and what strategies are being developed to develop these aspects of our culture further. 
 
Coming Up Tomorrow:
 
Festival favourite and noted children's author and comedian David Walliams returns to Dubai to celebrate the 10th anniversary of one of his most iconic characters as she returns in a sequel: Gangsta Granny Strikes Again!
 
Author Alka Joshi will take fans behind the scenes of her first bestselling novel, The Henna Artist, which is being adapted into a Netflix series, starring Frieda Pinto (Slumdog Millionaire).
 
Author Toshikazu Kawaguchi will share the inspirations behind his international bestseller Before the Coffee Gets Cold.
 
Join the Anime fan club, and get a front-row seat to animators Ken Arto (Demon Slayer: The Movie) and Fadel AlMheiri (Catsaway) discuss the anime they love and why it's such a global phenomenon.
 
Popular Instagram poet Nikita Gill makes her first-ever appearance in Dubai as she performs a show featuring her own poetry, titled 'Maidens, Myths, and Monsters.'