“Sharjah Nabati Poetry” Next Monday

Under the Patronage of the Ruler of Sharjah

“Sharjah Nabati Poetry” Next Monday

Al Owais: The Patronage of the Ruler of Sharjah Has Contributed to Strengthening the Presence of Nabati Poetry and Supporting Its Creators

Sharjah –

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, the activities of the twentieth edition of the Sharjah Nabati Poetry Festival will commence next Monday. Organized by the Sharjah Department of Culture, the festival will run for eight days from the 2nd to the 9th of next month, across Sharjah, Al Dhaid, and Kalba. The festival will host more than 70 male and female poets, alongside a distinguished group of critics and media professionals from across the Arab world.

His Excellency Abdallah bin Mohammed Al Owais, Chairman of the Sharjah Department of Culture, said:
“Successive editions of the Sharjah Nabati Poetry Festival affirm the continued patronage that His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, extends to Nabati poetry. This patronage has played a vital role in consolidating the presence of this authentic Arab art form and supporting its creators. This edition represents a renewed affirmation of Sharjah’s commitment to this rich poetic heritage, whose roots extend deep into the cultural conscience for decades, and its keenness to preserve and develop it while opening broader horizons for young talents.”

He noted that this interest has established the Sharjah Nabati Poetry Festival as an effective cultural platform that brings together poets from across the Arab world, offering them a spacious forum for exchanging creative experiences. He pointed out that His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah’s inauguration of the project to revive the old town of Al Heera in the city of Sharjah, the establishment of Al Heera Literary Council, and His Highness’s directive to launch Al Heera magazine from Sharjah—specialised in Nabati poetry and its cultural and creative affairs—are all manifestations of this broad interest. He explained that these initiatives have formed a significant contribution to the poetic scene and provided poets with wide opportunities to publish their poems and critical and intellectual writings related to Nabati poetry.

Al Owais added:

“This patronage of the Sharjah Nabati Poetry Festival has contributed to building a wide audience keen to attend its diverse poetry evenings, which feature a distinguished group of poets with varied poetic experiences. This reflects the accumulated poetic culture formed over the years of the festival. It once again confirms the deeply rooted status of Nabati poetry as poetry of place and time—emerging from authentic vocabulary to reach a complete poem in its metre and rhythm, rich in imagery, metaphors, and musicality, contributing to the documentation of memory and history.” 

Al Owais also highlighted that since its inception, the Sharjah Nabati Poetry Festival has been committed to honouring pioneers of Nabati poetry from among Emirati creatives. He affirmed that this recognition represents an important milestone in poets’ careers and serves as a moral incentive that has supported and encouraged Nabati poets to continue their creative contributions. He noted that the current edition of the festival will honour poets Saeed Boulahaj Al Rumaithi and Ali Juma Al Suwaidi “Al Ghanami” in recognition of their outstanding poetic contributions. 

Regarding the festival’s programme, the Chairman of the Department of Culture said:
“The current edition will present a range of diverse and distinguished activities, including eight poetry evenings, among them a critical seminar discussing the literary journeys of the two honoured poets. The festival will also extend its activities to the cities of Al Dhaid and Kalba, reflecting geographical and cultural diversity and allowing participants to explore the cultural, heritage, and historical character of both cities.” 

Opening

The opening ceremony of the festival will take place at the Cultural Palace in Sharjah. The programme will begin with a recorded presentation highlighting the honoured poets of the current edition—Saeed Boulahaj Al Rumaithi and Ali Juma Al Suwaidi “Al Ghanami”—followed by their official recognition by His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah.

The audience will then listen to poetry recitations by poets Saeed Saif Al Tunaiji and Saeed bin Ghalitha, marking the first poetry readings of the festival.

On the second day of the festival, the Cultural Palace will host a seminar dedicated to the honoured poets, discussing their literary and creative journeys, with contributions from Dr. Fahad Al Maamari and Dr. Ali Al Abdan.

On the same day, a poetry evening will be held at the Cultural Palace, featuring poets:
Mohammed Balshar Al Khatri (UAE), Nadera Al Mughaybi (Saudi Arabia), Hamda Al Marr (UAE), Hamad Ghuraib (Jordan), Barzan Al Suhaim (Iraq), and Badria Al Badri (Sultanate of Oman).

On the third day, also at the Cultural Palace, the audience will enjoy readings by a group of distinguished poets from the Arab world:
Huzeim Al Hajri (UAE), Mohammed bin Saeedan (Qatar), Saba Al Asmari (Saudi Arabia), Khloud Al Barari (Kuwait), Nasser Al Tai (Syria), and Ayam Qandeel (Sultanate of Oman). 

Sustained Momentum

Poetic momentum continues through the fourth, fifth, and sixth days, with the Cultural Palace hosting these evenings and welcoming a wide audience of Nabati poetry enthusiasts.

On the fourth day, the participating poets are:
Ali Al Kibaali (UAE), Kulthum Abdullah (UAE), Mansour Al Ruwaili (Saudi Arabia), Munir Al Tanbah (Palestine), Abdallah Al Rashidi (Sultanate of Oman), and Fada Al Hail (Qatar).

The fifth day will feature poets:
Saeed Sabeel (UAE), Hamda Al Owaidi (UAE), Khaled Al Othman (Bahrain), Al Shumoukh Al Rassiya (Saudi Arabia), Sattam Al Huwaiti (Jordan), Sulaiman Al Jabali (Egypt), and Rouq Al Shammari (Iraq).

On the sixth day, poets include:
Rashid Juma bin Naeem (UAE), Al Meeth (UAE), Harith Al Buraiki (Sultanate of Oman), Abdulrazzaq Ayed (Syria), Tamani Al Jazi (Jordan), and Reem Al Janoub (Egypt).

Between Al Dhaid and Kalba

As part of the festival’s commitment to geographical diversity, the seventh and eighth days will be held in the cities of Al Dhaid and Kalba. Cultural centres in both cities will host poetry readings by a group of creatives, enriching the local cultural scene.

At Al Dhaid Cultural Centre, poets include:
Al Maidiya Rayana Al Ooud (UAE), Eid bin Shuraim (Kuwait), Nawaf Al Shiyadi (Sultanate of Oman), Abdallah Ayed Al Shammari (Iraq), Khawafi (Saudi Arabia), and Balqees Sarhan (Yemen).

The festival will conclude in Kalba with the closing poetry evening at Kalba Cultural Centre, featuring:
Ali Matar Al Washahi (UAE), Ahmed Al Nasseri (UAE), Ayed bin Khattaf Al Ajmi (Saudi Arabia), Muneer Al Saadi (Yemen), Amal Al Shaqsi (Sultanate of Oman), and Muneera Al Subaie (Bahrain).