Sharjah 24: His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah witnessed the opening of the 17th Sharjah Arabic Poetry Festival, which is organised by the Sharjah Department of Culture. 

Being held at the Sharjah Cultural Palace, with the participation of 42 poets from various Arab countries, the festival will run until January 18.

On arrival at the venue of the event, His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah was warmly welcomed by Sheikh Salem bin Abdulrahman Al Qasimi, Chairman of Sharjah Ruler's Office; Mohamed El Aaraj, Moroccan Minister of Culture and Communication; His Excellency Abdullah Mohammed Al Owais, Chairman of Sharjah Department of Culture; His Excellency Major General Saif Al Zari Al Shamsi, Commander-in-Chief of Sharjah Police; His Excellency Dr. Saeed Musabah Al Kaabi, Chairman of Sharjah Educational Council; His Excellency Khalid Jasim Al Midfa, Chairman of Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA); His Excellency Mohammed Obaid Al Zaabi, Head of Protocol and Hospitality Department; Salem Yousef Al Qaseer, Chairman of Sharjah Labour Standard Development Authority; Habib Al Sayegh, Secretary-General of the General Union of Arab Writers, and a number of Arabic poetry houses’ directors.

During the ceremony, the attendees watched a documentary film that highlights the distinguished efforts of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah in supporting the poetry and poets in the UAE and the whole Arab world.  The documentary film has also underscored the outcome of the poetry festivals held in the cities and villages of the Arab world with the support and follow-up of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah. 

During the event, different poets delivered several poems. The poets have also deeply thanked His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah for his support of poetry and poets in the Arab World.

Following poems’ recitals, His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah honoured the Festival’s personalities with the Sharjah Award for Arabic Poetry in its 17 edition. The honorees were Emirati poet Saif Al Marri and poet Mohamed Mohamed Al-Shahawi from Egypt. They were honoured for their active role in supporting the Arabic poetry, their poetic creativity, and their poetic and distinguished achievements.

Furthermore, His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah received documentary publications on the production of the Arab poetry houses throughout the past year. Those publications were printed under the sponsorship of the Department of Culture in Sharjah.

At the end of the Festival, a new quarterly magazine was launched by the Department of Culture in Sharjah, in line with the directives of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah aiming at enhancing the poetry and Arabic literature at the local and Arab levels.