In her opening remarks, Amal Sarim, presenter of the evening, welcomed the audience to Sharjah, the UAE’s cultural capital, highlighting the emirate’s commitment to knowledge, culture and the arts. She also paid tribute to His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi,  Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, recognising his longstanding support for culture and literature and his efforts to promote poetry, knowledge and cultural exchange between nations.

At the end of the evening, poet Mohammed Al-Buraiki honoured the participating poets and the evening’s presenter.