The countdown has begun to the region's largest celebration of the written and spoken word.
The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature is once again giving fans the chance to interact with world-famous authors, and attend literary debates, workshops and competitions.
Visitors can look forward to a 50 per cent increase in free public sessions this time.
Festival director, Ahlam Bolooki, shared the details with ARN News.
She added that the event's 2020 edition will see the release of a book of essays written by inmates at Dubai central jail.
The International Literary Festivals' Conference is another exciting development for the festival that aims to give local writers the right exposure and also showcase the UAE's cultural aspects.
Omar Saif Ghobash, Assistant Minister for cultural affairs at the ministry of foreign affairs and international cooperation, told ARN News that these sessions contribute a great deal in positioning the Emirates as a centre for knowledge and culture.
The 12th edition of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature will run between February 4-9 at the Intercontinental in Dubai Festival City.
Julia Donaldson's Gruffalo, the globally popular children's character, will return in a new storybook next year, publisher Macmillan Children’s Books said on Thursday, marking the fearsome but easily fooled monster's first fresh adventure in more than 20 years.
Singer Beyonce launched her "Cowboy Carter" stadium tour on Monday, rolling through "Texas Hold 'Em" and other country-inspired hits and sharing the stage with her two daughters.
Pop star Cyndi Lauper, "The Twist" singer Chubby Checker and grunge rock band Soundgarden were among the acts chosen for induction this year into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Rapper Kendrick Lamar has earned a leading 10 nominations for the American Music Awards, including nods for artist of the year and song of the year for his Grammy-winning track "Not Like Us".
Sharjah Police have arrested a motorist who racked up 137 traffic violations and fines totalling over AED 104,000, all while using forged licence plates to evade detection.
Economic and developmental cooperation topped the agenda during discussions between His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, and President of Ecuador, Daniel Noboa.
The UAE and Lebanon have agreed to enhance cooperation in key sectors, including economic and investment, "through joint opportunities, knowledge exchange and government development".