I think it's now been acknowledged that EK is talking to Boeing about the 747-8I, although EK wants the "original" version of the aircraft, rather than the full length aircraft Boeing is now talking about. EK wants an aircraft that will fly DXB-LAX nonstop.
The "new" 747-8I has a range of 14,800kms (8,200nm/9,200mi) , which should be able to handle this? Airlines, particularly in Asia, have been pushing Boeing to develop a longer -8, similar in length to the -8F, which for some reason was originally longer than the pax model. It's difficult to see Boeing making two - one for EK and one for everyone else, so I guess EK will want to make a choice. That said, if EK ends up being the only airline to commit to the 747-8 (pax model), things might be different.
Here's the route display for DXB-LAX, showing as 13,420kms (7,426nm/8,339mi), so theoretically, it should be within the range of the "new" -8I, although Clark says this "cannot be done with a meaningful payload".
http://gc.kls2.com/cgi-bin/gc?PATH=D...OR=&MAP-STYLE=
The design freeze for the -8I won't be until the middle of next year, so I guess there's plenty of time for horse-trading ...