The ceremony was organised by the Abdulrahman Kanoo Cultural Centre in the Kingdom of Bahrain, in the presence of a distinguished group of writers, intellectuals, researchers and those interested in heritage and culture.

The Institute’s participation came in recognition of the late poet’s exceptional experience and appreciation of a cultural and scholarly career spanning more than half a century, during which he enriched poetry and popular culture, served Gulf and Arab heritage, and established projects and institutions that contributed to preserving and safeguarding popular memory.

Al Musallam: He was a teacher to an entire generation

In his speech at the memorial ceremony, His Excellency Dr Abdulaziz Al Musallam said that the late poet was a leading figure in Arab culture and a symbol of human heritage. He explained that heritage was not a profession or specialisation for him, but rather a mission to which he devoted his life, remaining committed to it and giving more than half a century in its service.

Al Musallam recalled his relationship with his late mentor, saying that he remembers an entire journey of learning, guidance and inspiration. He noted that Ali Abdullah Khalifa played a major role in shaping him as a heritage researcher and was also a teacher to an entire generation of researchers across the Gulf states.

He added that meeting him at the Arab Gulf States Folklore Centre in 1985 revealed to him the depth of his experience and his belief that heritage cannot be preserved simply by talking about it, but by developing people capable of carrying its message.

Al Musallam noted that the Arab Gulf States Folklore Centre was one of the late poet’s most prominent achievements, becoming an academic school that produced a generation of researchers who carried the heritage message in their countries. He affirmed that his personal experience at the centre was one of the most important stages of his academic life.

Dr Al Musallam also recalled the late poet’s contributions to launching the Popular Culture magazine, establishing heritage projects and leading the International Organisation of Folk Art. He noted that he believed Arab popular culture deserved an authentic presence on the global cultural and human scene.

A lasting legacy

Al Musallam said that Ali Abdullah Khalifa left us not only books, institutions and magazines, but also a method of working and a conviction that heritage is not a past we mourn, but a future we build.

He affirmed that the late poet recognised early on that people are the greatest investment, and that developing researchers is no less important than collecting narratives and documenting texts.

He explained that his legacy will remain present in the generations that carried the heritage message, in the cultural institutions and projects to which he contributed, and in every effort aimed at preserving human memory and passing it on to the future.

Al Musallam concluded his speech by saying: “May Allah have mercy on you, Abu Fahad. You were the first spark in the hearts of many, and the fire of your giving will remain alight in the work of your students, in every project that bears your imprint, and in every researcher who learned from you that serving heritage is not a job, but a life’s mission.”

Three publications preserve his legacy

The ceremony also saw the launch and signing of three publications dedicated by the Institute to celebrating the late poet’s experience and documenting his literary, scholarly and heritage achievements. They include a special issue of Maraawid magazine entitled Ali Abdullah Khalifa: Guardian of Heritage and Knight of the Poem, the book Ali Abdullah Khalifa: A Life to Be Told by writer Mohammed Abdullah Nour Al Din, and the book Features of Creativity and Vision in the Poetic Experience of Ali Abdullah Khalifa.

The publications reflect the Sharjah Institute of Heritage’s efforts to document the lives of pioneers of culture and heritage and make their achievements accessible to future generations and researchers, preserving their presence in cultural memory and highlighting their contributions to the heritage movement.