The final auditions for this year's Million’s Poet competition will take place at the festival. Photo: Million's Poet
The final auditions for this year's Million’s Poet competition will take place at the festival. Photo: Million's Poet
The final auditions for this year's Million’s Poet competition will take place at the festival. Photo: Million's Poet
The final auditions for this year's Million’s Poet competition will take place at the festival. Photo: Million's Poet

A four-day festival celebrating Arab poetry is coming to Abu Dhabi


Evelyn Lau
  • English
  • Arabic

The inaugural Abu Dhabi Poetry Festival is coming to Adnec for a four-day event.

Set to take place from Thursday to October 15, the festival is in co-operation with the Emirates Heritage Club and organised by the Cultural Programmes and Heritage Festivals Committee – Abu Dhabi.

More than 1,000 poets are expected to attend, along with local, regional and international authors and writers in what is being hailed as “the largest celebration of Arab poetry". It aims to showcase a range of styles, such as Nabati and classic Arabic poetry, to help broaden its appeal to a wider audience.

There will be pavilions, including one dedicated to Sheikh Zayed, the UAE’s founder father, and another specifically for Emirati poetry, while a platform called Poetry Trail will shed light on the stages and evolution of Arab poetry throughout history.

Cultural seminars and poetry sessions will also take place with writers from various Arab countries. There will be a book signing corner with meet and greets and a special pavilion for children to discover poetry. The final auditions for Million’s Poet, a competition show created to revive Nabati poetry and find the most talented Arabic poet, will also take place at the festival.

In addition to activities, the event aims to support the cultural and literary movement in the Arab World and provide a platform for writers, poets, and literary figures to meet and connect. There will also be a conference at the end, from Thursday to Saturday that focuses on critical and academic studies, as well as different genres of Arabic poetry.

“The Abu Dhabi Poetry Festival comes in line with the dedicated cultural approach of the emirate of Abu Dhabi and its significant role in supporting culture-related and heritage-preservation initiatives, contributing to events taking place in the UAE,” said major general staff pilot Faris Khalaf Al Mazrouei, who is also the Abu Dhabi Police Commander-in-Chief and chairman of the Cultural Programs and Heritage Festivals Committee – Abu Dhabi.

“Abu Dhabi is widely recognised as a nurturing environment for poetry, creativity and talent. It is an enthusiastic supporter of the literary arts, contributing to the cultivation of literary creativity. The emirate is keen on fostering and nurturing intellectual awareness in the Arab world and enriching the Arab cultural scene. Most importantly, Abu Dhabi is devoted to preserving the poetic, literary, and cultural heritage of the UAE and Arabic-speaking countries."

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The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont

Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950

Engine 3.6-litre V6

Gearbox Eight-speed automatic

Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm

Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm

Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km

Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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  • Radios or power banks
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  • Glass
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  • Sharp objects
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GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

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Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

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Range: Up to 610km

Power: 905hp

Torque: 985Nm

Price: From Dh439,000

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3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 222

4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull 177

5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 138

6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull 93

7. Sergio Perez, Force India 86

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AIR
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Our legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

What the law says

Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.

“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.

“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”

If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.

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Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere

Director: Scott Cooper

Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong

Rating: 4/5

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Ian Rush 346
Roger Hunt 285
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Defence review at a glance

• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”

• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems

• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.

• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%

• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade

• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels

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Date of birth: April 18, 1998

Playing position: Winger

Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda

$1,000 award for 1,000 days on madrasa portal

Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.

School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.

“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.  

“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”

 

Company: Instabug

Founded: 2013

Based: Egypt, Cairo

Sector: IT

Employees: 100

Stage: Series A

Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors

Updated: October 08, 2023, 2:03 PM