Marrakech Witnesses the Launch of the Seventh Moroccan Poetry Festival

Poetry and Music… A Creative Twinship in the “Red City”
Marrakech Witnesses the Launch of the Seventh Moroccan Poetry Festival
Al Owais: Poetry is a human message that expresses the nation’s soul and preserves its memory
Mehdi Ben Saeed: The House of Poetry is a leading cultural institution, and the festival is a meeting point of cultures

Marrakech –

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, and His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco, the city of Marrakech witnessed the launch of the seventh edition of the Moroccan Poetry Festival. The event is organized by the Department of Culture in Sharjah in collaboration with the Moroccan Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Communication. The three-day festival brings together more than 40 creative participants, including poets, intellectuals, and artists from Morocco and around the world.

The opening ceremony was held at Meydene Hall in the heart of Marrakech, in the presence of H.E. Abdallah bin Mohammed Al Owais, Chairman of the Department of Culture in Sharjah; Mr. Mohammed Ibrahim Al Qaseer, Director of the Cultural Affairs Department; Mr. Samir Al-Wanassi, Regional Director of Cultural Affairs at the Regional Directorate of the Culture Sector – Marrakech-Safi, representing H.E. Dr. Mohammed Mehdi Bin Saeed, Moroccan Minister of Youth, Culture, and Communication; Mr. Rashid El Mostafa, Head of Cooperation at the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Communication; and a large audience of writers, intellectuals, and lovers of poetry.

The ceremony began with “The Anthem of Red Marrakech”, presented by the House of Poetry Nursery in Marrakech. The poem, written by Moroccan poet Badr Heboul and performed by poet Khadija Al-Saadi and translator Mariam Itjo, celebrated the beauty and heritage of the Red City. Through its verses, the poem evokes the timeless charm of Marrakech—its rich history, human spirit, and cultural legacy—where poetic imagery intertwines with emotion and belonging, reflecting the city’s essence as a haven of creativity, beauty, and cultural exchange.