Dubai: 7 January, 2009 – The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation today announced the names of the advisory committee for the First Dubai International Poetry Festival which will be held next March. 

Set to become an annual calendar event, the Dubai International Poetry Festival will be built around the overarching theme of ’A Thousand Poets - One Language‘, and is designed to serve as a vital platform for intercultural dialogue through the language of poetry. 

Members of the advisory committee named by the Foundation include Seif Al Marri, Director General of Al Sada publishing house in Dubai, Seif Al Saadi Managing Director of Jawaher Magazine in Dubai, and Ahmed Abdul-Muti Hegazy, Editor-in-Chief of Ibda’a magazine, (Egypt). 

Other members are Hamad Al Nuaimi, Media Expert at Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage (Qatar); Nasir Al Sibiei, Editor in Chief of ‘Al Mukhtalif’ magazine (Kuwait); Monsef Al Mazghani, Director of the House of Poetry (Tunisia); prominent poet Adonis (Syria); and  Mubarak Al Ammari, Senior Vice Chairman, Public Poetry Association  (Bahrain). 

The Foundation earlier named prominent UAE poet Jamal Khalfan bin Hwaireb as the Chairman of the Organising Committee. 

Ali Al Shaali, CEO, Dubai International Poetry Festival, said: “We are delighted to include leading names on the Arab cultural landscape to the committee. Their expertise and knowledge will be a major asset to the debut event while their contribution will ensure the festival surpasses expectations of poetry fans and culture communities across the UAE and the world.” 

Al Shaali, who is also Director of Publishing at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation, added: “We aim to attract more than 1,000 prominent poets from across the globe over the next five years for the Dubai International Poetry Festival. We are confident the cultural event will bolster Dubai’s status as a prominent knowledge hub, while providing a platform for constructive cultural interaction between Arab poets and international peers, leading to better understanding of the diverse backgrounds of nations represented at the event.” 

The advisory committee will be actively involved in preparing the agenda including scheduling for various activities and programmes for the cultural festival.  

Al Shaali said: “We aim to give fans of literature and participants at Dubai International Poetry Festival an unforgettable cultural experience, by hosting the event at various locations in Dubai and demonstrate the emirate’s rich cultural heritage. The event has already generated considerable enthusiasm, which we believe will result in a wide spectrum of audience from a large number of countries.” 

Major shopping malls, community centres, traditional coffee shops, and heritage centres have also pledged to host events as part of the Festival. 

In addition to Arab and GCC states, countries such as Australia, Canada, South Korea, China, France, England, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Ukraine and the US are expected to register strong representation to the festival. Africa, Asia and Latin America will be represented by South Africa, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Portugal and Brazil.