OUR MISSION & FOUNDER
The world has always had an opinion about the Middle East, and we believe that it’s time for the Middle East to have an opinion about the world.
Fiker Institute is an independent, international affairs think tank based in Dubai, working to create a platform for dialogue and thought leadership on global affairs. The Middle East is at the center of world debates but has often been an object of analysis rather than a partner in dialogue. Fiker Institute works to reclaim narratives about the region by testing ideas, debating constructs, and advancing scholarship.
Founded in 2021, Fiker Institute platforms regional scholars and publishes analysis that seeks to disrupt traditional frameworks of studying political affairs and policy developments through fellowships, programs, and publications. With regular public and policy programming, the Institute has become a convening space for engagement between researchers, academics, diplomats, and policymakers, and frequently hosts high-level delegations, foreign ministers, ambassadors, & lecturers.
About the Founder
Dubai Abulhoul is the founder of Fiker Institute. Through the Institute, she has helped shape policy conversations on global governance reform, diplomacy, climate security, culture, and the future of multilateralism, positioning Fiker Institute as a platform for rigorous debate on regional and international issues.
Her policy work has been recognized by leading global platforms, including the Rome MED Dialogues and the World Economic Forum. She was invited by French President Emmanuel Macron to speak at the Paris Peace Forum, where she debated universalism during the Russia-Ukraine war alongside the President of Argentina and the Prime Minister of Albania. She serves on several advisory boards, including the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Geopolitics, the University of Birmingham Dubai Advisory Board, the Department of International Studies at the American University in Sharjah, the UAE Rhodes Scholarship Committee, and the COP28 President’s Advisory Board. She is also a Jury Member of the Zayed Sustainability Prize, and a Trustee of the Emirates Literature Foundation, chaired by HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum.
After establishing Fiker Institute’s research programs and curating its policy agenda, Dubai launched the Institute’s Politics Library at Alserkal Avenue in Dubai as part of its institutional expansion. The library houses more than 15,000 books on foreign policy, global politics, and international development, making it one of the region’s notable independent spaces dedicated to political thought and international affairs.
A Rhodes Scholar, Dubai holds a Master’s degree in Diplomacy and Global Governance from the University of Oxford, where she specialized in diplomatic crisis management, international law, and soft power, and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science & Literature from New York University Abu Dhabi. In 2024, she was recognized in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list.