The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature and Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD) today announced the signing of an expanded sponsorship agreement for the 2020 Festival, which covers both the Business Days and the Innovation Strand.

The extended partnership is a result of the positive response ICD witnessed to the Business Days at the 2019 Festival, and the opportunities they provided for not only the business community but also students.

Held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, Emirates Airline Festival of Literature is the largest celebration of the spoken and written word in the Middle East. The event brings together the world’s leading writers and thinkers, including experts and thought leaders in a wide range of fields that have a direct impact on business and innovation.

HH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Emirates Literature Foundation, said: “The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature is a firm favourite in the annual calendar for a huge number of people. The UAE is one of the most dynamic entrepreneurial business environments in the world, so it is fitting that the Festival attracts the most sought after thought leadership speakers. The Business Days and the Innovation Strand will give Festival visitors the chance to hone their business skills and allow everyone to continue to push the boundaries of innovation.”

His Excellency Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani, Executive Director and CEO of Investment Corporation of Dubai, said: “Once again, we are proud to showcase our passionate commitment to furthering Education and Innovation through continuous sponsorship of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature. In alignment with our social outreach policies, we are pleased to extend further support to this great annual literary gathering, and we will be sponsoring the Business Days and the Innovation Strand for the new edition of 2020.”

Isobel Abulhoul OBE, CEO of the Foundation and founder of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, said: “We are delighted to welcome ICD again with an increased presence at the 2020 Festival. We live in an incredibly dynamic society. Our Festival visitors often come for the sheer enjoyment of hearing world class writers speaking about their books, but over the years, there has been a growing demand for more sessions that can improve our skillsets, particularly among university students and entrepreneurs. The ICD sponsored sessions offer visitors a chance to invest in themselves and their future. Business Days and the Innovation Strand go hand in hand and ICD is well known for its focus on investing in the future and giving young people excellent opportunities. There are such great synergies between our two organisations.”

The Business Days include sessions in Arabic and English, including Asia’s first Apprentice winner Jonathan Yabut, international relations expert Parag Khanna, the millionaires’ mentor Bev James, celebrity branding specialist Jeetendr Sehdev, Mariyam Al Balooshi and Khalid Al Hosani and many more. Masterclasses and workshops cover everything from boosting productivity to using Feng Shui in your business and emotional Intelligence.

The innovation strand brings together engineering, astronomy, space travel, and fascinating stories of humans and animals, backed by science, and feature prominent leaders in their respective fields.

The Festival is held with Founding Partners Emirates Airline and the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated authority for heritage, arts, and culture.

To buy tickets and for the full list of authors, visit www.emirateslitfest.com