The event featured 13 poets and was attended by academics, researchers and enthusiasts of the Arabic language, poetry and literature.

The forum is part of a series of Arabic poetry forums held across Africa as part of Sharjah’s cultural efforts to strengthen the presence of the Arabic language, encourage poets and literary talent, and create opportunities for creative exchange between African and Arab artists. It also seeks to support cultural and literary activity and reinforce Arabic poetry as a means of communication and rapprochement between peoples and cultures.

The forum was attended by higher education professors, researchers, and officials from educational institutions and Arab-Islamic associations in Guinea.

In his opening address, Dr Abdulrahman Fadaga, chairman of the organising committee of the Arabic Poetry Forum in Guinea, expressed his happiness and pride at hosting the latest edition. He said the literary and cultural gathering celebrates poetic creativity while highlighting the role of poetry in raising awareness and serving culture and language.

He extended his deepest thanks and appreciation to His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, describing him as a patron of literature and science and a leading supporter of academic institutions and cultural initiatives. He praised His Highness’s efforts in serving the Arabic language and its literature, as well as his continued support for language academies, poetry houses and research platforms, which have helped establish Sharjah as a beacon of knowledge for scholars and literary figures.

For his part, Professor Kaba Imran, the forum’s local coordinator, noted that the Arabic language has had a deeply rooted presence in Guinea for 10 centuries or more. During this period, traditional centres of learning produced numerous scholars and poets, including Karmou Sankene, Djerno Ali Boubadim, Karamou Talbi and El Hadj Omar Sakho.

He added that such poetry forums connect the present with the past, plant the seeds of growth among young learners and guide talented individuals towards a flourishing poetic movement.

The forum featured poetry readings in which participants presented examples of their work, covering themes including praise, love, wisdom and pride in the Arabic language. The readings demonstrated the young poets’ mastery of the tools and metres of Arabic poetry.

Through its successive editions, the Arabic Poetry Forum in Guinea continues to support poetic and cultural activity and expand communication among poets, intellectuals and researchers. This reflects Sharjah’s vision of making culture a bridge between peoples, strengthening the presence of the Arabic language across Africa, and supporting new generations of creatives and those interested in Arabic literature.