Al ain: Organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) from 24 to 30 November 2025, the Al Ain Book Festival 2025 offers a dedicated space for celebrating poetry and creative arts through its popular programme, 'Poetry Nights: The Sung Word'.
According to Emirates News Agency, the programme has demonstrated its appeal in the past three editions of the Festival, gathering a wide audience that attended its activities to experience the connection between poetry, music, and song. The fourth edition is taking place under the slogan 'From Al Ain, Poetry is Sung', continuing to highlight the poets of Al Ain city who have contributed to preserving its folk poetic heritage.
The programme commemorates the impact of poets lost to the poetry and heritage scene as part of its 'Key Figures' segment. It offers segments targeting community groups, aligning with the UAE leadership's declaration of 2025 as the 'Year of Community'. These include panel discussions on poetry and heritage, illustrating how poetry has been an integral part of daily life through proverbs and verses embodying Al Ain's society, values, customs, and traditions. Poetry served as a means of expressing emotions, offering advice, and encouraging community participation across generations.
Poetry Nights will host over 30 poets across seven sessions and poetry evenings at Qasr Al Muwaiji during the Festival. Besides poets reciting a selection of their poems, sessions will feature poets performing Emirati folk arts depicting the UAE's environments. These artforms include Al Taghrooda, Al Wanna, Al Radha, Al Azi, Al Mankous, and Al Shallat, all beloved by the audience.
The event merges poetry and the performing arts, offering attendees the chance to appreciate traditional artistic styles that evoke ancestral voices. The programme includes sessions addressing issues related to folk poetry, including topics on national identity and society.
For the first time in Al Ain, the programme invites participation from children and young adults with poetic talent, dedicating a special session to highlight their abilities and inspire future creativity. The activities aim to strengthen their talent by exposing them to the works of established poets.
The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre aims to build on the success of the 'Poetry Nights: The Sung Word' programme, establishing it as a cultural platform, particularly in heritage and folk poetry. This aligns with the UAE's dedication to preserving cultural heritage and reinforcing folk poetry's role as a vital resource for the Arabic language and heritage communication.
The programme is among ALC's key projects, advancing its objectives to promote the Arabic language as a chief cultural element, furthering the leadership's vision to nurture a generation with a love for reading and a connection to their language, heritage, poetry, and values.