This IS a rumour network... so I'll repeat what one of the senior engineers assured me he read in some online trade magazine only yesterday.
He says EK has just ordered 20 747-80s.
Now whether that's a "Chinese whisper" that's grown in the telling from the earlier order of 8 freighter 747-80s or an additional order remains to be seen.
Whichever brand of whale eventually appears on Dubai's ever more crowded tarmac, everyone can rest assured that the canny horse traders at Box 686 will screw every last drop of blood from the stone in compensation and penalties from Aerboos.
And if EK really feel the need for something big and four engined in the meantime, I'd be willing to bet Boeing would fall over themselves to dredge up a few -400's (and crews?) from the Arizona desert at the VERY right price while EK waited for the 747-80 to be delivered.
But I'd be even more willing to bet that Airbus would be willing to offer a considerably sweeter deal to EK to ensure that that will never happen.