Like a mischievous child chasing a dream, and an old man contemplating life with the wisdom of a philosopher, the Emirati poet Habib Al-Saqqig drew the features of his creative journey, which over the years transformed into a complete poetic project, carrying the uniqueness of its creator and his philosophy of life, as well as various social and human issues, which made him one of the most prominent poets and creators in the UAE.
The emergence of Al-Saqqig's talent, who died at the height of his prowess in August 2019 at the age of 64, coincided with a time of major transformations and strong emotions at both local and regional levels. Political events, social and economic changes became harbingers of pivotal changes in the region, and this momentum was reflected in Al-Saqqig's poetry, as in his first poetry collection "Here, Bar, from the tribe of Banu Abbas.. The Invitation is General", published in 1980, which forcefully announced a poetic voice that possessed the ability, awareness, and will to earn him a unique place in the cultural scene.
This was confirmed with the release of his subsequent collections: "The Last Statement of the Spokesperson for Himself", "Poems to Beirut", "Rose of Maturity", "A Break in the Weight", "A Graphic Depiction of Giraffe Herds", in addition to the collection "My Name is Ruin and I have a Son". Several of his collections were translated into foreign languages, such as English, French, Chinese, and Spanish.
Habib Al-Saqqig was born in Abu Dhabi in 1955 and began working in journalism before reaching the age of 15. He obtained a bachelor's degree in Philosophy in 1977, and a master's degree in Arabic-English Linguistics and Translation from the University of London in 1998. His studies in philosophy left a clear mark on his writing, which was characterized by a contemplative outlook and depth. Some described him as mysterious at times when tackling human issues such as existence and non-existence, belonging, the duality of life and death, and other issues.
He also headed the editorial board of the newspaper "Al-Khaleej" and held several other administrative positions. Al-Saqqig received numerous awards and honors, including the Tareq Omran Award (in the category of Journalism Pioneers) in 2004, and the State Award for Literature in 2007, which was granted to a poet for the first time.
Through this position, he was nominated in 2015 for the post of Secretary-General of the General Union of Arab Writers and Artists, becoming the first Gulf national to head this institution, and was renewed for another term.
His active presence was not limited to writing poetry. He worked in the fields of journalism and culture, holding several key positions, the most prominent of which was the presidency of the Emirates Writers' Union, of which he was a founder, which he headed from 2009 until his death.
He also won the Sultan bin Ali Al Owais Foundation Award for his collection "Rose of Maturity" in 2014-2015. According to the award's report, Al-Saqqig won "for being one of the pioneers of poetic modernism in the Arab Gulf, and for his efforts to renew the form of the poem, its rhythms and its content, in its three forms (the column, the taweel and the prose), making them poetic mirrors through which we can see the human tribulations of the Arab wherever he is, and taking it out of its locality to the vastness of the general human concern".
1980 — His first collection was published, forcefully announcing a unique poetic voice.
1955 — Habib Al-Saqqig was born in Abu Dhabi and began working in journalism before the age of 15.
2009 — He became president of the Emirates Writers' Union, which he had co-founded.
2015 — He was nominated for the post of Secretary-General of the General Union of Arab Writers and Artists, becoming the first Gulf national to head this institution.
2007 — He received the State Award for Literature, the first time it was awarded to a poet.
Habib Al-Saqqig died in 2019 at the age of 64, at the height of his creative output.
