The ceremony began with a presentation on the honoured poets, showcasing their journey with Nabati poetry, and the most prominent stations in their literary life. The presentation also included poetry readings of a number of their most famous poems, and a biography of each poet.
After that, the poet Butti Al Mazloum, Director of Al Hirah Literary Council, presented a poem on the occasion of the launch of the festival, in which he appreciated the great role of Sharjah under the leadership of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah and His Highness's insightful vision in culture.
On the first evening of the festival, the two poets: Nasser Al Qahtani from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Hamad Al Balushi from the UAE presented poetry readings, in which they discussed their love for the homeland and the pride of belonging to it.
Nasser Al Qahtani recited a poem in which he expressed his love for Sharjah and its people, appreciating the roles of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah in culture, poetry and thought, and His Highness’s care towards all literary fields.
For his part, the Emirati poet Hamad Al Balushi presented a poem, expressing pride of the homeland, its wise leadership, and the country's approach in establishing the values of unity in society.
His Highness honoured the distinguished poets in this edition of the festival, namely: Saif Hamad Sulaiman Al Shamsi, Mohammed bin Masoud Al Ahbabi, the late poet Hamad Ali Al Muzaini, and Alia Johar Al Khatri.
The festival, which lasts until February 8, presents a group of various activities, moving between the cities and regions of the Emirate, in which male and female poets from different countries of the Arab world participate.
It will also witness the presentation of collections of poetry from the publications of the Department of Culture in Sharjah. In addition to the poetry evenings, the festival includes an accompanying event, which sheds light on the experiences of the honoured poets, with the participation of: Ali Al Abdan, Jamal Al Shaqsy, Fahd Al Maamari, and Maryam Al Naqbi.
The event witnessed the attendance of Sheikh Khalid bin Isam bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Chairman of Department of Civil Aviation, Rashid Ahmed bin Al Shaikh, Chairman of Sharjah Ruler’s Court, Abdulla Mohammed Al Owais, Chairman of Department of Culture, Dr. Mansour Mohammed bin Nassar, Chairman of Sharjah Government Legal Department, Omar Khalfan bin Huraimel Al Shamsi, Chairman of Sharjah Directorate of Human Resources, Mohammed Obaid Al Zaabi, Chairman of Protocol Department, and a number of officials, poets, and media professionals.
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