Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
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, the second edition of the Abu Dhabi Poetry Festival, organised by Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority, will take place at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi from 9-11 February 2026.
The second edition of the festival aligns with Abu Dhabi’s cultural strategy to achieve heritage sustainability and consolidate the status of both Nabati and Classical Arabic poetry. It highlights Abu Dhabi’s role in supporting cultural and heritage movements, reinforcing the emirate as a global hub for poets and creative talent, and a key supporter of purposeful creative content across different cultural and heritage sectors.
The event will feature a rich and diverse programme, comprising several interactive sections and zones. Key highlights include the Poetry Bridge, the UAE Poetry Map, the Young Poet Corner, the Emirati Women Poets Corner, the Performing Arts Platform, and the Poetry Café, alongside a range of other themed sections.
The festival sheds light on prominent poets and their works, as well as the Emirati poetic landscape, contributing to the exchange of expertise and knowledge among scholars and specialists in both classical and Nabati poetry. It will also showcase Abu Dhabi’s contribution to the advancement of Arabic poetry and its artistic richness, while nurturing poetic talents locally and regionally.
Through this edition, Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority aims to broaden participation and attendance, attract new audience segments, particularly children and youth, and encourage them to engage with poetry and explore its creative world. The festival also seeks to promote poetic culture within the community and reconnect new generations with their literary and linguistic roots.
The festival’s inaugural edition saw extensive participation from poets across the UAE, the GCC, and the wider Arab world. The event attracted more than 1,000 poets, writers, and researchers, and welcomed more than 15,000 visitors.
