Culture

Sharjah Department of Culture concludes 10th Luxor Arab Poetry Festival

The Sharjah Department of Culture wrapped up the 10th Luxor Arab Poetry Festival. Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, the festival added a new chapter to the story of the “Diwan of the Arabs.”

The closing ceremony took place in the open-air theatre at the Luxor Temple Square, attended by Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Owais, Chairman of the Sharjah Department of Culture; Mohammed Ibrahim Al Qaseer, Director of Cultural Affairs at the department; Dr. Ahmed Mohy Hamza, Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Luxor University, Hussein Al Qabbahi, Director of the Poetry House, and a large audience celebrating poetry and its creators.

Organised by the Sharjah Department of Culture in cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, the four-day festival featured the participation of over 140 poets and creators from across the country.

In his closing remarks, Dr. Hamza praised Sharjah’s cultural role, supported by H.H. Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi and lauded the noble initiative of the Poetry Houses, describing them as “landmarks” that establish a vibrant cultural and creative scene in the Arab world.

He highlighted Luxor University’s pride in its cultural partnership with the Luxor Poetry House, emphasising that the collaboration over ten years has nurtured young talent.

Dr. Hamza also congratulated the Poetry House on its 10th anniversary, noting that a decade of activity demonstrates the success of this pioneering cultural initiative in serving both Egyptian and Arab culture.

The final day opened with Al Owais and Al Qaseer inaugurating the visual arts exhibition, featuring a selection of artists and students from the Faculty of Fine Arts in Luxor, alongside festival guests and students.

The exhibition displayed over 70 works by more than 70 artists, showcasing their ability to shape ideas through innovative artistic designs. The pieces ranged from painting to metalwork and composite materials, offering diverse visual perspectives and revealing the artists’ skills in using materials to create compositions rich in aesthetic and philosophical meaning.

Al Owais, Al Qaseer, and the attendees toured the exhibition, listening to students explain their techniques, creative processes, and the aesthetic messages behind their works. The visit gave the audience insight into the diverse artistic experiments and the multiple styles represented.

The tour concluded with Al Owais and Al Qaseer, accompanied by Dr. Hamza, awarding several students for their achievements in the faculty’s visual arts competition.

Following the exhibition’s opening, Luxor University hosted a poetry evening with poems that varied between humanistic, national, and emotional themes.

Story by WAM

Culture

What is Hag Al Laila?

Fifteen days before Ramadan every year, children wear traditional clothes and carry colourful woven bags as they go door-to-door, singing in return for nuts and sweets. Hag Al Laila, which means “for this night”, usually begins after maghreb prayers and is a joyful way to remind communities that the holy month is just around the corner.

While popularly known as Hag Al Laila in countries including the UAE, the tradition is known by different names across the region. In Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and some cities in Saudi Arabia, it is called gerga’aan and is celebrated on the 15th day of Ramadan instead. It is celebrated on the same day in Oman too, but is called qaranqasho.

Origins

While its actual origins are known, some trace the tradition to one of the earliest Ramadans, when Fatima, the daughter of the Prophet Mohammed, distributed sweets to people two weeks into the holy month. Others, however, suggest it predates Islam and could even be the basis for Halloween’s trick-or-treat tradition.

When is Hag Al Laila this year?

While the exact start of Ramadan will be dictated by the sighting of the new crescent moon, Ibrahim Al Jarwan, chairman of the board of directors of the Emirates Astronomy Society, told The National earlier that Ramadan was expected to begin on February 18.

This means Hag Al Laila would take place on February 3. However, some celebrations have already begun across the UAE. In Dubai, for example, bridges and lampposts have been decorated to mark the occasion. Malls in Abu Dhabi and Dubai have also launched a series of children’s activities, from traditional music performances to games and giveaways.

THE NATIONAL

Culture

Three Eid holidays in one year?

Residents in the UAE and the wider Muslim world are set to experience a rare astronomical alignment in 2039, with three Eid festivals falling within a single Gregorian calendar year.

According to renowned climate and astronomical expert Dr. Abdullah Al Misnad from Saudi Arabia, the unusual alignment stems from the way the Islamic lunar calendar gradually shifts against the solar Gregorian calendar, advancing by roughly 11 days each year.

Double Hajj and the Day of Arafat

The drift will lead to a remarkable convergence in 2039. The year will begin with the first Eid Al Adha falling on January 6, 2039, corresponding to 10 Dhul Hijjah 1460, the traditional culmination of Hajj and the major festival of sacrifice. But that won’t be the only one.

Nearly 12 months later, the lunar calendar will complete its full cycle again, and a second Hajj season will begin, culminating in another Eid Al Adha on December 26, corresponding to the 10th of Dhul Hijjah in the year 1461.

This means that two separate pilgrimages to Mecca will be performed within a single solar year, an exceedingly rare feat.

Even more unusual: both occasions will come with their own Day of Arafat, the spiritually charged day preceding the Eid, when pilgrims gather at Mount Arafat to pray.

Sandwiched between these two events will be Eid Al Fitr, expected to fall on October 19, 2039. Three Eids in a single year, two sacrificial and one celebratory, amount to an unparalleled spiritual cycle of fasting, pilgrimage, prayer, and festivity.

The lunar calendar’s shift is not limited to the Hajj season. Ramadan, the holiest month of fasting and spiritual reflection, will also experience a similar occurrence in the near future.

Two Ramadans in 2030

In 2030, Muslims will observe two Ramadans within the same Gregorian year, one beginning in January and another starting in December. This event will be the first double Ramadan in 33 years, following the last occurrence in 1997.

The Islamic Hijri calendar is based on the phases of the moon and consists of 354 or 355 days. The Gregorian calendar, which follows the solar cycle, consists of 365 or 366 days. This mismatch causes Islamic dates to shift earlier each year by approximately 10 to 11 days.

Gulf News

Culture

Al-Jouf to Launch 19th Olive Festival

The digital media conference for the 19th Al-Jouf International Olive Festival 2026 unveiled today the highlights of the festival, showcasing innovative experiences that combine the richness of the olive world with the authenticity of Saudi culture.
Held annually under the patronage of Governor of Al-Jouf Region Prince Faisal bin Nawaf bin Abdulaziz, the festival, running from January 8 to 17 in Sakaka, will feature 45 olive farms, 10 agricultural companies, and participants from seven countries.
Secretary of the region and chairman of the festival’s higher committee Atef Al-Shar’an said that the festival helps empower farmers and promote the quality of olive oil locally and regionally.
This year’s festival will include a new operetta, an international olive kitchen with chefs from several countries, six play areas, and three musical zones.
— SPA