‘Mali Arabic Poetry 4’ celebrates Arabic language’s creatives

July 28, 2025 / 5:16 PM

Sharjah 24: The fourth Arab Poetry Forum recently took place in Bamako, Mali, under the support of His Highness Sheikh Dق Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah. The event, organized by the Cultural Affairs Department of the Sharjah Department of Culture, brought together over twenty poets from Mali, both men and women, in a celebration of culture and literature.

This two-day forum was organized in partnership with the Al Bayan Literary Association, and it aimed to promote the beauty of Arabic poetry in Africa and encourage cultural exchange between different peoples.

Attendees included Dr Abdulsamad Mega, head of Al Bayan Association, university leaders, students, and poetry lovers from all around Mali.

The organizers shared that this year’s forum continued the success of past events, focusing on highlighting new poetic talents and honoring renowned figures in the local literary scene.

In his opening remarks, Dr Mega praised Sharjah’s important role in supporting Arab culture both within Africa and beyond. He pointed out that the forum has become a much-anticipated annual celebration for Arab poetry enthusiasts in Mali.

He expressed, “We welcome everyone to this cultural celebration that brings us together through our love for beautiful words and poetry, and represents the strong bond between Arab and African communities. This event, which we look forward to each year, showcases creative writing and the unique voices of those who speak Arabic in Africa.”

Dr Mega also thanked His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah for his ongoing support of Arabic culture and poetry, emphasizing that culture helps connect people, with poetry at its heart.

He highlighted that these forums give Malian poets a platform to share their thoughts and feelings, helping new voices to be heard and raising awareness about the significance of poetry in expressing language and culture. This year, they celebrated nearly twenty talented poets from Mali and looked forward to more discussions, experiences, and creative initiatives that would help poetry hold a significant place in the community.

In closing, Dr Mega expressed his gratitude to everyone involved in making the forum a success—from the poets to the organizers and supporters. He especially thanked Sharjah for its strong belief in the value of poetry and expressed hopes that the forum would foster an exchange of experiences, showcase talents, and enhance cultural dialogue among different peoples.