The 20th edition of the Sharjah Nabati Poetry Festival was held at the Culture Palace, featuring an evening event with a select group of poets: Saeed Al-Znahani, Hamda Al-Awaidi (UAE), Khaled Al-Othman (Bahrain), Ash-Shamukh Al-Rasasi (Saudi Arabia), Sitam Al-Huwaiti (Jordan), Sulman Al-Jabali (Egypt), and Raouf Al-Shamri (Iraq). Al-Znahani opened the evening with a number of poems characterized by an ode to the beloved. At the end of the evening, Abdullah bin Muhammad Al-Awais, Chairman of the Sharjah Department of Culture, honored the participating poets in recognition of their efforts and participation in this festival, which continues until tomorrow. The festival also focuses on an environmental theme aimed at highlighting the beauty of the natural environment in Al Ain city, including oases, palms, deserts, and surrounding nature that reflects the balanced relationship between humans and the environment. Artists drew inspiration from these traditional elements, using various techniques to create paintings that reflected the diversity of perspectives and artistic styles in presenting the local cultural heritage. Festival visitors closely followed the stages of the artistic creation process, observing drawing techniques and various methods of artistic expression. As part of the festival's artistic events, a photography competition saw wide participation with over 500 images documenting the aesthetics and spirit of Emirati heritage, with a focus on the same two themes: heritage and environment. The organizing committee noted that the participating works were distinguished by their high quality, especially with the participation of a large number of professional photographers, which added significant competitiveness to the competitions. The two competitions are part of the efforts of the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture & Heritage to enhance cultural and artistic awareness and to encourage youth to discover their skills in the visual arts, while providing winners with the opportunity to display their works on festival platforms and interact with a broad audience of heritage and art lovers. Financial prizes of 500,000 dirhams are also allocated for each competition to be awarded to 20 winners (10 for each category). Over 500 photographs captured the beauty and spirit of Emirati heritage in a photography competition. The first edition of the Al Ain Heritage Festival, held at the Al Ain Exhibition Centre, attracted more than 50 fine artists and 90 photographers. The event, organized by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture & Heritage and running until tomorrow, features a variety of heritage, community, and competitive events. The festival provided artists with the opportunity to present their works directly to the public through a 'live painting competition,' where participants competed in two categories: a heritage category focused on documenting Emirati cultural heritage, including customs and traditions, handicrafts, traditional attire, local markets, and heritage activities.
