MUSCAT: The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) is returning to Abu Dhabi for the fourth time in January 2027, with founder and director Andre Timmins describing the emirate as a “home away from home” for the global Indian film industry and revealing plans for a bigger entertainment programme, a new business forum and an international expansion of the IIFA brand.
The IIFA Weekend and Awards will take place in Abu Dhabi on January 21 and 22, bringing together leading Bollywood and South Indian stars, filmmakers, business leaders and audiences from across the region.
Speaking to the Times of Oman, Timmins said IIFA's decision to return to Abu Dhabi was influenced by both the emirate's strong relationship with the Indian entertainment industry and the current global environment.
“IIFA travels around the world, right, to different destinations. IIFA first three times was on the request of the leadership there to kind of promote India, India, Abu Dhabi,” Timmins said.
“Then after that, we went to Jaipur and we were supposed to go to Greece and Malaysia. And because of the current situation in the world, we decided to either come back to India or then go to Abu Dhabi.”
He said Abu Dhabi offered IIFA a familiar and supportive environment at a time when bringing people together was particularly important.
“We've come back to Abu Dhabi because it's more of a comfort zone that we know the people there. IIFA is all about celebrating. IIFA is all about bringing people together. It's all about culture. It's all about commerce.”
“Why not go to Abu Dhabi? Because one is the leadership will, with arms open, welcome us. And second thing, for us, it becomes stress-free in terms of bringing people together. It's close to India. It's two and a half hours away from India.”
Timmins said the return of IIFA to Abu Dhabi also carried a wider message about India's cultural influence.
“With IIFA coming into Abu Dhabi, it also shows the test that India's committed, our soft power, Indian cinema's committed to make the world a better place.”
He described Abu Dhabi's leadership as “absolutely brilliant” and said the city had become a natural home for IIFA. “It's like home far away from home. They understand the ethos of Indian travellers. If I'm not mistaken, last year, they did about 1.2 million Indians into Abu Dhabi, which is brilliant.”
Timmins said IIFA had played a role in strengthening the relationship between Abu Dhabi and India and wanted to contribute further to the emirate's tourism ambitions.
“IIFA has played an important role in growing that relationship between Abu Dhabi and India. And we want to play an important role to see how we can get more people across, not only from a touristic perspective.”
He pointed to Abu Dhabi's major attractions, including Ferrari World, Warner Bros. World and other entertainment destinations, as part of the wider experience available to visitors.
Business forum added
For the 2027 edition, IIFA is expanding beyond its traditional awards and entertainment format with a new business forum focused on the media, entertainment and commerce sectors.
“What we are doing this year, we are adding a business forum to it, in the media, entertainment and commerce,” Timmins said.
The forum, scheduled around January 21 and 22, will bring together Abu Dhabi leadership, ministers from India and Indian business leaders.
“The forum will be another new addition to what we are doing,” he said.
On the entertainment side, Timmins said the 2027 edition would feature a mix of Bollywood and South Indian cinema, with a number of new collaborations and film promotions.
“We are bringing a little more cinema to it. We're bringing more films. We are kind of promoting some new films coming in. We're looking at some larger tie-ups. We are going to bring some South stars there. So it's going to be a mix of Bollywood stars, South stars together in one platform.”
He said audiences could therefore expect content that would be different from previous IIFA editions in Abu Dhabi.
Shah Rukh Khan invited
Salman Khan has already been announced for the event, while Timmins said IIFA would be delighted if Shah Rukh Khan accepts its invitation.
“We would be more than happy if Shah Rukh accepts the invitation. He's busy with his movie King. Till the 24th of December, his movie gets released,” he said.
“I think it's going to be a success. There's no doubt about it with Shah Rukh and Deepika. And then we just heard Ranbir is doing a special appearance.”
“Many more. So we've requested if he accepts the invitation, I think Abu Dhabi, the world and IIFA will be more grateful to him.”
Gulf audience increasingly important
Timmins said the importance of the Gulf market to Indian cinema has grown dramatically over the past decade.
“It’s not only important to IIFA. If you look at the current demographics of the world, probably 15 years ago or 10 years ago, from a ticket-buying audience, it would be first India, second London, then America and then UAE.”
“Today, it's India. Second is UAE. So how important it is not to IIFA only, but to the cinema industry, because our ticket sales, the second largest ticket sales is UAE. And then it's America and then it's London.”
“So it has changed over the last seven, eight years. So Middle East, UAE, Saudi is very important to the industry, not only IIFA.”
He said IIFA's role was to act as a catalyst for Indian cinema and help strengthen its connection with international audiences.
Live experience cannot be replaced
With IIFA also announcing a partnership with YouTube for live streaming the IIFA AWARDS Night Timmins acknowledged the changing way audiences consume entertainment but urged fans to experience the event in person.
“Live events, and watching it on YouTube or Zee TV, is very different. You've been to IIFAs because what you experience in the live is very different than watching it on TV.”
“Of course, I propagate everybody to come and buy tickets and come and see it live because that encourages us to keep going.”
Timmins said ticket sales had already reached around 50 per cent and urged audiences to support the event.
“Please tell all your listeners, please tell all your viewers to go out there and support IIFA, to buy the tickets and sell it out.”
“We, I think, if I'm not mistaken, have reached about 50 per cent. I'm sure in the next one month, Diwali, all will be sold out.”
Hollywood to enter IIFA awards
Timmins also revealed that IIFA is introducing a new award recognising a Hollywood film that has performed strongly at the Indian box office.
“What we are doing this year is also integrating one of the best Hollywood films that's done well in India. So we are integrating one award for Hollywood.”
He said the award would recognise the best-performing Hollywood movie at the Indian box office and would be selected with the involvement of an advisory board.
“It's something new, never done in the world. And second thing, I'm not losing my roots. I'm still honouring people from India.”
Abu Dhabi remains his favourite destination
IIFA has travelled to around 25 countries, but Timmins said Abu Dhabi remained particularly close to his heart.
“For me, there can be no other country than Abu Dhabi, which is close to my heart because the leadership is absolutely brilliant. I like the ethos of how they promote events. I like the structure of how they promote events. I like the thinking.”
He described Abu Dhabi as one of the world's best destinations for major events.
“It's a very event-friendly country because they do about 85 events in Abu Dhabi. They understand events. They understand how to bring it there. What to bring.”
“I think, if you ask me, single-handedly, it's one of the best destinations to bring events to. They have the formula. They have the structure.”
“Hands down, Abu Dhabi would be my first love from that perspective.”
But Timmins also has another major ambition — taking IIFA back to London. “I want to go back in London in 2028, play to 100,000 people in Wembley Stadium. That's my big dream.”
“I think after Diljit, IIFA will bring that audience together. So I think 2028, London, here we come, Wembley Stadium, 100,000 people sold out.”
Abu Dhabi's event infrastructure
Timmins said IIFA had experienced few difficulties in organising its Abu Dhabi events because of the city's structured approach to major international events.
“There have never been any challenges within the Abu Dhabi system because they have it, everything is laid down very, very clear.”
He said regular meetings take place to ensure that every aspect of an event is on track.
“They do meetings every 15 days. They're ticking the box of what's happening, whether it's licences, booking of the venues. They also check what's happening in your life. Artists are booked, cars are booked, hotels are booked. They monitor everything.”
“You can't go wrong. There's a whole team working with the Abu Dhabi Miral office.”
He said the main logistical challenge sometimes involved arranging airline tickets and first-class travel for artists, with some travelling through Dubai before reaching Abu Dhabi.
Next generation of Indian stars
Asked about the next generation of Indian cinema talent, Timmins singled out Ahaan Panday as a promising young actor.
“I think we already have Ahaan Panday, who, his movie did very well. And I think he looks definitely promising.”
He said a number of other young actors from established film families were also expected to enter the industry. “In the corridors, we know that Arbaaz's son, Sohail's son, they're all going to be starting shooting next year.”
“These kids will be the next big stars to come.”
‘Come, celebrate, enjoy’
For audiences considering a trip to Abu Dhabi for IIFA 2027, Timmins had a simple message. “I think the one thing I want to say to all our audiences, the people that support IIFA, is come, celebrate, enjoy, watch.”
“And support India, support Indian film industry and come and see the stars up and close.”
“This IIFA is going to be very, very different.”
He said even the hosting of the digital awards would bring a new combination of talent, with Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal, Debina and Abhishek among those involved.
“Pankaj Tripathi, for the first time, hosting with Ali Fazal and Debina and Abhishek. So again, there you have the Mirzapur team.”