Poetry in Arabic is a work of art, and the United Arab Emirates’ government has established a platform to celebrate and cherish its beauty with the inauguration of the Zayed Encyclopedia of Poetry. This virtual platform was approved by His Highness Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed bin Zayed, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Office, and will serve as a comprehensive guide and reference for the Emirati dialect of Arabic.

Khalid bin Mohamed bin Zayed approves the Zayed Encyclopedia of Poetry, to become a leading reference for Emirati dialect. This includes an online platform for the poems, virtual experiences on its content & selected parts of the encyclopedia translated into various languages. pic.twitter.com/DQRPGymjBN

— مكتب أبوظبي الإعلامي (@ADMediaOffice) August 16, 2020

The highlight of the cultural initiative is an Arabic poetry exhibition that will narrate HH Sheikh Zayed’s association with the linguistic aspect of Emirati culture. Additionally, the encyclopedia will include competitions on a variety of related cultural studies, including poetry recitation, singing, calligraphy, and visual arts, the media office announced on its Twitter page.

This program is part of the Arabic Language Center’s plan to preserve and encourage the use of Arabic language. The schedule extends itself from 2020 till 2025, and was established under the direction of President Sheikh Khalifa.

The plan focuses on four aspects of development that include using Arabic content, developing digital platforms in the language and encouraging research to promote it at all levels. Literary lovers all over UAE are in for an enriching experience with the Zayed Encyclopedia of Poetry, as it’ll not only feature Arabic poems but also extracts translated into various languages.

Image credit: @alifnunainart