UAE | Heritage and Culture

Festival to promote Arab poetry launched

His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has directed the launch of 'Dubai International Poetry Festival' as an annual calendar event celebrating Arabic poetry and promoting international understanding through one of the most enduring literary genres.

  • Staff Report
  • Published: 23:33 June 23, 2008
  • Gulf News

Dubai: His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has directed the launch of 'Dubai International Poetry Festival' as an annual calendar event celebrating Arabic poetry and promoting international understanding through one of the most enduring literary genres.

Held under the banner 'Thousand Poets, One Language', the activity-packed annual event aims to attract 1,000 internationally acclaimed poets from around the world over the next five years.

Various forms of classical and contemporary Arabic poetry will be featured during the festival.

The celebration of Nabati poetry, an indigenous form of verse unique to the Gulf states, will be a key component of the event for its importance as an integral element of the region's cultural fabric.

Shaikh Majid Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (DCAA) said: "Poetry is a universal literary avenue where people speak the same language of sincerity and truth, even if through different dialects. The festival has been founded on this ethos, inspired by the vision of Shaikh Mohammad towards promoting culture excellence in the Arab world and spotlighting our rich Arabic literary heritage globally.

"Dubai International Poetry Festival underscores Dubai's efforts to establish the Arab region as a culture and knowledge hub. With highly creative minds descending on the emirate from various parts of the world, the event will drive Dubai's efforts to uniquely promote cultural understanding between the region and the rest of the world."

Organised under the umbrella of the Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation, the festival will leverage the power of poetry to mobilise and rebuild cultural bridges severed by the growing challenges and fast paced developments sweeping the world.

Poetry seminars, reading sessions, workshops and open discussions on the role of poetry in creating a common language for humanity to foster global understanding will feature as part of the festival.

The Arab world boasts a rich storehouse of poetry, chronicling its people's achievements, customs and traditions. Known as 'Diwan Al Arab' (The Register of the Arabs), the genre of poetry is embedded into the region's cultural roots and has continued enjoying a coveted status with generations of literary lovers.

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