Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has attended the opening of the second edition of the Abu Dhabi Poetry Festival, organised by Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi until 11 February 2026.
His Highness has reviewed the festival’s cultural initiatives and activations, including the Poetry Bridge, the UAE Poetry Map, the Young Poet Corner, the Poetry Stage, and the Poetry Café, and toured the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority pavilion, and the pavilions of participating entities. His Highness also met several poets who contribute to enriching the cultural landscape, supporting the poetry and literary movement, and promoting the Arabic language through creative works in both Nabati and classical Arabic poetry.
His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan underscored that the Abu Dhabi Poetry Festival reflects the emirate’s vision to reinforce the importance of culture as a fundamental pillar of national identity and a bridge for cultural dialogue across generations. His Highness commended the efforts of cultural entities supporting initiatives that nurture creative talent and present national cultural heritage through contemporary approaches that keep pace with evolving cultural and knowledge landscapes.
The festival reflects the emirate’s commitment to supporting cultural and creative industries and strengthening Abu Dhabi as a leading destination for preserving Arab cultural heritage and promoting it globally. It also supports and empowers emerging poetic talent to contribute to enriching the cultural landscape locally and regionally, through a cultural platform that highlights Emirati, Gulf and Arab poetic experiences, while enabling the exchange of ideas among poets, critics and cultural practitioners in ways that advance literary movement and keep pace with contemporary intellectual and creative developments.
The second edition of the Abu Dhabi Poetry Festival comes as part of the vibrant cultural movement taking place across Abu Dhabi and aligns with initiatives of the Year of Family, reflecting poetry’s role in strengthening community values and fostering connections between past and present generations by reviving literary heritage through contemporary creative expressions that highlight the depth of national cultural identity, and reinforce culture and literature as a platform for dialogue across society.
The first edition of the Abu Dhabi Poetry Festival featured wide participation from poets across the UAE, the GCC and the Arab world, attracting more than 1,000 poets, writers, and researchers, as well as more than 15,000 visitors and enthusiasts of Arabic poetry.
His Highness was accompanied during the tour by His Excellency Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al Qassimi, Minister of Culture; His Excellency Faris Khalaf Al Mazrouei, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority; His Excellency Abdulla Mubarak Al Muhairi, Acting Director-General of the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority; and Dr Sultan Al Ameemi, Chairman of the Emirates Writers Union.
