Sharjah 24: The open theatre at the Public Library of Egypt, on Rams Road, in Luxor (Egypt), hosted the closing ceremony of the sixth edition of the Luxor Festival for Arab Poetry, organised by the House of Poetry in Luxor, on Thursday evening, November 18, 2021.

Present at the ceremony were Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Owais, Chairman of the Department of Culture in Sharjah, Mohammed Ibrahim Al Qasir, Director of the Department of Cultural Affairs,  Mohammed Al Buraiki, Director of the House of Poetry in Sharjah, Hussein Al Qabahi, Director of the House of Poetry in Luxor, and a number of officials from the Egyptian cultural institutions.

The celebration began with poetry reading from the governorates of Sinai and Salloum, moderated by the poet Mahmoud Maree, and attended by poets Hamdan Al Tarabin, Salim Suleiman Abu Daqqa, Alaa Al Ramahi, Abdel Qader Tarif, Attia Abu Marzouqa.

A poetry evening was held where poets Ahmed Shalaby, Jamal Fathi, Ezzat Al Tiri, Fathi Abdel Sami, Mohammed Abdel Moneim Al Hanati participated, the poetry evening was moderated by the poet Bakri Abdel Hamid. Poems recited included emotional, social and patriotic topics with various creative methods and schools, followed by a variety of music notes.

 Abdullah Al Owais honoured the festival participants distributing certificates of appreciation and shields of the 6th Festival for Arabic Poetry. 

Dr. Mohamed Al Sayed, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education in Luxor, expressed his happiness and pride in the successes of poetry festivals and the activities organised under the patronage and support of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, whether in Egypt or the Arab world.

Al Sayed said that festivals’ positive results are a distinguished model in knowledge, cultural and creative cooperation. He added that festivals constitute incentives for intellectuals, poets and promising talents.

The poets participating in the festival extended their thanks and gratitude to His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, for his great interest in poets and writers and his support to Arab literature and culture, Arab poetry festivals, and the poetry houses project across the Arab world.

In the end, the audience listened to the artistic segment presented by the artist Abdullah Gohar and a series of heritage songs, patriotic songs and poems.