Verses of praise for Mohammad

Dubai: There were nods and smiles among leaders, cabinet ministers and government officials as they listened to poetry in honour of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, recited by two Emirati intellectuals.

Shaikh Mohammad yesterday joined an audience of mostly government officials, businessmen and intellectuals to listen to the poetry dedicated to him at the Cultural and Scientific Association (CSA) in Al Mamzar.

Two Emirati cultural icons, Abdul Gaffar Hussain, a researcher and writer, and Ebrahim Bu Melha, head of the administrative council at the CSA, recited the self-authored poetry in a theatre designed to resemble a traditional Gulf residential district, complete with wind towers.

The poetry read by Abdul Gaffar was not mere praise but an explanation of his fondness for the Shaikh Mohammad through events and stages in the Ruler's life, which the poet shared in his verses.

Culmination of memories

Before starting his poem Abdul Gaffar explained that his piece was a culmination of his memories of Shaikh Mohammad as he rose to lead Dubai, the challenges he faced and how he dealt with them, which for him was precisely why the Ruler of Dubai was so deserving of the respect he had.

"I will recite my poem by recalling memories of the times I spent with Shaikh Mohammad, and how I saw him evolve into the leader that he is today," said Abdul Gaffar.

The poet's knowledge of intricate details about the emirate and of Shaikh Mohammad's life and his past were further highlighted every time he interrupted his classical Arabic poetry to explain the context in colloquial Emirati Arabic, assuming that his audience was not as informed as him.

Abdul Gaffar described Shaikh Mohammad in his younger days on his arrival in the UAE from higher education in the UK. He praised how Shaikh Mohammad made Dubai the financial powerhouse it is today.

"[The late founder of the UAE, Shaikh] Zayed was a father to you as much as [the late ruler of Dubai Shaikh] Rashid was," he said, describing the Ruler as a true son of the soil.

Bu Melha's poem was also in praise of Shaikh Mohammad, but much of it towards the end was an expression of solidarity with the Palestinians of war-ravaged Gaza, and praise for Shaikh Mohammad's support of them.