Tetouan Celebrates the Opening of the Seventh Moroccan Poets Festival

Tetouan Celebrates the Opening of the Seventh Moroccan Poets Festival

Al Qaseer: The House of Poetry in Tetouan Is a Shining Cultural Model in the Arab World 

Al Mehdi Bensaid: The Patronage of the Ruler of Sharjah Has Consolidated the Festival’s Position in Morocco’s Poetic Landscape 

Tetouan –

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco, the city of Tetouan in northern Morocco witnessed the launch of the seventh edition of the Moroccan Poets Festival. The festival is organized by the Sharjah Department of Culture in cooperation with Morocco’s Ministry of Youth, Culture and Communication over three days, bringing together more than 50 Moroccan poets, intellectuals, artists, and critics.  

The opening ceremony took place at the Teatro Español in the heart of Tetouan, attended by Mohammed Ibrahim Al Qaseer, Director of Cultural Affairs at the Sharjah Department of Culture; Zouhour Amhaouch, Regional Director of Culture representing Mohamed Al Mehdi Bensaid, Morocco’s Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication; Abdelrazak Mansouri, Governor of Tetouan Province; as well as a large gathering of writers, intellectuals, university students, and poetry enthusiasts.

The opening ceremony was presented by poet Mokhlis Sghir, Director of the House of Poetry in Tetouan. In his opening remarks, he welcomed the audience and emphasized that Houses of Poetry have become influential cultural beacons within the Arab cultural landscape thanks to the vision and guidance of the Ruler of Sharjah. He noted that these institutions have evolved into creative spaces that celebrate poetry and strengthen its presence in society. He also highlighted that the festival brings together some of Morocco’s most distinguished poetic voices and that, throughout its previous editions, it has hosted hundreds of male and female poets.