The Board of Trustees of the Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Foundation held its third regular meeting of the year on Thursday, June 6, 2024, with the majority of its members in attendance.
Abdul Hamid Ahmed, Secretary General of the Foundation, announced that the Board approved the minutes of the previous meeting and reviewed the Investment Committee’s report. The Board praised the Committee for its efforts in preparing comprehensive investment guidelines and diversifying income sources. It also approved the auditor’s report for 2023.
Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais
The Secretary General added that the Board approved a special budget to celebrate the centenary of Sultan bin Ali Al Owais in 2025, an occasion endorsed by UNESCO. The Foundation is preparing for this major event with a variety of programs, events, and activities set to launch in early 2025.
They will include art exhibitions, documentary films, poetry recitals of Sultan Al Owais’s works, reprints of his poetry collections, intellectual seminars, panel discussions, and issuance of picture books, postage stamps, commemorative coins, and other activities celebrating the legacy of iconic poet Sultan Al Owais. His contributions have left a lasting imprint on both local and Arab culture, particularly in Emirati poetry. Notably, Sultan bin Ali Al Owais is recognized as one of the pioneers of the UAE’s economic, social and cultural renaissance.
One of his most significant contributions to local and Arab cultural life is the establishment of a prestigious cultural award in 1987, bearing his name. Later, the award has turned into a renowned and prestigious cultural foundation in the Arab world. The prize is awarded biennially to Arab writers and thinkers for their exceptional work in the fields of Short Story, Novel and Drama; Poetry; Literary Studies and Criticism, as well as Humanities and Future Studies.
The award honors outstanding and creative figures who have enriched the cultural landscape with their exceptional contributions, reflecting the authenticity of Arab thought and the nation’s aspirations. Recipients’ work must have a clear impact on cultural, literary, and scientific life, and the award may be given for one or more works that demonstrate distinction and influence in the cultural realm.
Sultan Bin Ali Bin Abdullah Al Owais was born in the town of Al Hira in 1925 in Sharjah where he received his early education. Descending from a family of pearl merchants, with his father, Ali Bin Abdullah Al Owais, being a skilled pearl trader (known as Tawashin). Sultan Al Owais followed in his father’s footsteps, involved in the pearl trade while also venturing into various other businesses, traveling between India and the UAE.
Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais embarked on his poetic journey in 1947, and his first poem was published in the Beirut-based “Al Wouroud Lebanese Magazine” in 1970. Although he commenced composing poetry relatively late in his life, he left a lasting impact. Revered as one of the leading poets in the UAE, he served as a bridge between two generations of writers and poets and stood as a pioneer among love poets in the Arabian Gulf. Sultan Al Owais’s poetic oeuvre resonated deeply with diverse audiences, reflecting his heartfelt sincerity and introspection.
Celebrated for the profound emotional depth of his poetry, Sultan Al Owais is considered as a prominent figure in the Gulf’s poetry scene, and his work resonates with people from diverse backgrounds. His first poetry collection was issued in 1978 by the Al Ittihad Press Publishing and Distribution. One of his renowned works is “Mirrors of the Gulf,” published in Beirut in 1985, and he compiled a collection of poems titled “Diwan Sultan Al Owais: The Complete Collection 1993”.
According to academic studies, he was classified as one of the second generation of Al Hira poets, which included him (1925-2000), poet Sheikh Saqr Al Qasimi (1924 – 1994), and poet Khalfan bin Musabih (1923 – 1946). Sultan Al Owais’ poetic works have been extensively studied by critics and scholars. These studies have been compiled in a book published by the Emirates Writers Union titled “Sultan Al Owais: A Merchant Who Loved Poetry”.
