Dubai’s Emirates Airline Festival of Literature opens its 2026 programme with a business-focused breakfast session titled “Boardroom Lessons from a Hostage Negotiator” on Wednesday, 21 January 2026. It runs 09:00 to 10:30 at Vista Terrace, InterContinental Dubai Festival City, Dubai Festival City, Dubai, UAE, and the hotel’s main line is +971 4 701 1111. The festival office can also direct ticket questions on +971 4 355 9844. Entry is ticketed at AED 200, and the format is positioned as a Business Breakfast rather than a standard auditorium talk.
A festival morning with a corporate edge
This session sits inside the Emirates LitFest week at InterContinental Dubai Festival City, and it sets an unusually practical tone for a literature festival morning. Instead of a bookish deep-dive, you get decision-making under pressure, framed for leaders who deal with uncertainty daily. Because it starts at 09:00, it also plays nicely with a working day, especially if you want to be back at your desk before lunch. Think of it as a compact leadership masterclass with breakfast included, not a long conference segment. (Suitable for professionals, founders, managers, solo or colleagues; not aimed at children.)
What the session covers in plain language
The headline promise is simple: keep your head clear when the room heats up. The talk draws on lessons from high-stakes negotiation and translates them into boardroom habits like structured thinking, calm communication, and better choices under time pressure. At the same time, it leans into real scenarios, so it should feel grounded rather than theoretical. If you manage teams, handle crises, or negotiate deals, the themes match your day-to-day reality. And because the session stays to 90 minutes, you get density without the drag.
The speaker and the on-stage dynamic
Former Scotland Yard negotiator Scott Walker leads the conversation, and the festival frames the session around decision-making in bad situations and staying composed when stakes spike. You will also see a moderated format, with Zeena Zalamea listed as moderator, which typically keeps the pace tight and the takeaways practical. In other words, expect a guided conversation rather than a single long monologue. That structure usually helps the audience connect the stories to workplace situations faster.
A smart plan for your morning arrival
Aim to reach Dubai Festival City by 08:15 to 08:30 so you can park, find Vista Terrace, and settle in without rushing. If you arrive closer to 09:00, you may spend the first minutes navigating the hotel corridors rather than listening. Also, because this is a breakfast setting, many guests prefer business-casual attire, and that choice fits the venue tone naturally. Bring a notebook or a quiet note app plan, because the useful bits often come in short, quotable lines. Then, after 10:30, you can either continue into LitFest sessions or head straight back to work.
Ticketing, price clarity, and the safest buying options
The festival lists this breakfast at AED 200, and that price point is consistent with LitFest’s business breakfast sessions. While prices can change close to the event, booking early protects both availability and your schedule. For the most reliable purchase route, stick with EMIRATES LITFEST OFFICIAL TICKETING and, if needed, the ON-SITE FESTIVAL BOX OFFICE at the InterContinental. If you buy from anywhere else, double-check the session name, date, and time before paying.
Getting there, parking, and easy transport choices
Dubai Festival City is car-friendly, so driving usually feels straightforward, especially for a morning event. Still, weekday mornings can stack traffic on approaches, so add buffer time even if you live nearby. Parking around Dubai Festival City typically offers plenty of capacity, and you can also use hotel valet if you prefer a faster walk-in. If you want to avoid driving stress, ride-hailing works well for early sessions, because it eliminates parking decisions. Public transport can work too, but it usually needs one extra step after the Metro.
Metro and water-taxi routes that avoid road stress
Dubai Festival City does not sit directly on a Metro stop, so plan for a short taxi or a water connection. Dubai Festival City’s own guidance points to Emirates Metro Station (Red Line) as a nearby option for a quick taxi hop, and it also highlights Creek Metro Station (Green Line) paired with a water-taxi route via Al Jaddaf Marine Transport Station. That combination can feel surprisingly smooth, especially when roads run slow during the commute window. If you stay at the InterContinental, the hotel also notes a complimentary local shuttle option for guests, which can simplify the final stretch.
Coming in from Abu Dhabi or Sharjah
From Abu Dhabi, leaving early is your friend, because you can beat the heaviest Dubai inbound flow and arrive with time to spare. If you target an arrival around 08:15, you keep the morning calm and still preserve the rest of your day after 10:30. From Sharjah, the school-run window can slow key corridors, so an earlier departure helps more than you expect. If you travel from another emirate, treat this like a business meeting, not a casual coffee. The return drive after 10:30 often feels easier than peak afternoon traffic, so you may actually save time compared with later events.
Morning weather, traffic, and comfort notes
Dubai’s forecast for Wednesday, 21 January 2026 shows light rain, with temperatures around 18°C daytime and 8°C overnight, so roads can feel slick during the commute and outdoor walkways may stay damp. Bring a light jacket for early air-conditioning, and consider an umbrella if you plan to walk from parking to the hotel entrance. Also, expect heavier traffic into Dubai Festival City between 07:45 and 09:00, so arriving early protects your seat and your focus. Ticket prices and door policies can change, so treat any last-minute offers as approximately and rely on EMIRATES LITFEST OFFICIAL TICKETING for the cleanest confirmation. Arrive by 08:30 so you start the session ready, not rushed. And if you like a final local sense-check before leaving home, the event roundups from the editors at www.few.ae often help you spot small timing details that make mornings like this run smoothly.
then "Add to Home Screen"