SHARJAH, 29th October, 2025 (WAM) -- Jordanian Minister of Culture Mustafa Al Rawashdeh has praised the pioneering cultural efforts of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and his continued support for the Arab poetry movement.
Al Rawashdeh commended Sharjah's initiatives to promote poetry and strengthen communication between Arab creatives through the establishment of poetry houses in the Arab world.
He made the remarks during a meeting with Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Owais, Chairman of the Sharjah Department of Culture, and Mohammed Ibrahim Al Qaseer, Director of the Cultural Affairs Department at the Department, marking the launch of the 10th edition of the Al Mafraq Arabic Poetry Festival.
Al Rawashdeh congratulated Sharjah on the tenth anniversary of the Poetry Houses Initiative, highlighting its contribution to providing a creative platform for poets and writers over the past decade.
“When H.H. the Ruler of Sharjah announced the directives of the pioneering initiative to establish poetry houses in the Arab world, Jordan was the first destination for poetry houses, and the city of Mafraq was the platform from which this enlightening cultural initiative was launched, before expanding across the Arab world, reaching the Atlantic Ocean in Nouakchott," Al Owais said.
Subsequently, under the patronage of the Sharjah Ruler, the Mafraq Arabic Poetry Festival was launched, organised by the Department of Culture in Sharjah in cooperation with the Jordanian Ministry of Culture.
The festival's opening ceremony was held at the National Library in the Jordanian capital, Amman, in the presence of Al Owais, Professor Al Qaseer, and the Director of the National Library, Firas Al Daraba, in addition to Jordanian and Arab intellectuals, writers, academics, and a large number of poetry lovers.
Al Owais added, “Today, we are pleased to celebrate the launch of the tenth edition of the Mafraq Arabic Poetry Festival in the capital, Amman, as a continuation of the journey of giving that has made the House of Poetry a model in the Arab cultural scene. This is in light of the close cooperation between the Department of Culture in Sharjah and the Jordanian Ministry of Culture.”
He also underlined the significant role of the House of Poetry and the influence of the festival, noting that since its establishment, the House of Poetry in Mafraq has been a leading cultural platform and that the festival has, over the past decade, made a lasting poetic impact.
At the end of the ceremony, Al Owais, Al Qaseer and Al Daraba honoured the poets participating in the opening sessions of the festival with certificates of appreciation.