Sharjah Art Foundation’s Dialogues talk series will continue its exploration of the people and ideas that have shaped the UAE’s and wider Arab cultural landscape with a special conversation featuring Dr Yousif Aydabi.
The second session, titled “From the Realm of Poetry to the Oasis of Culture,” will take place on Saturday, 15 August 2026, at 6:00 pm at The Flying Saucer. The discussion will be moderated by artist and writer Ismail Al Rifai, Director of Translation and Arabic Content at Sharjah Art Foundation.
The session will examine key stages of Aydabi’s decades-long career across poetry, theatre, journalism, academia, and cultural planning, while reflecting on his contribution to the development of Sharjah’s cultural institutions and wider artistic ecosystem.
From Poetry to Cultural Development
Aydabi is a prominent figure in Arab cultural life, with a career spanning creative practice, academic work, and cultural institution-building.
The conversation will revisit important chapters of his professional journey, exploring how his experiences in poetry and theatre, followed by work in journalism and cultural development, intersected with pivotal moments in Sharjah’s cultural scene.
The discussion will also look at the foundations, ambitions, and visions behind cultural projects that helped establish Sharjah as a major destination for artists, writers, intellectuals, and cultural practitioners from across the region and beyond.
For audiences, the session offers an opportunity to hear first-hand reflections on the development of the emirate’s cultural landscape from someone who has been closely involved with it for decades.
A Career Across Theatre, Literature and Academia
Dr Yousif Aydabi has worked across several areas of the arts and humanities. A poet, playwright, film critic, and academic, he has served as Cultural Adviser at the Dr Sultan Al Qasimi Centre since 2009.
Earlier in his career, he served as Dean of the Institute of Music and Theater in Khartoum and held academic positions at universities in Sudan, Romania, and the UAE.
His publications cover subjects including theatre, popular heritage, Gulf music, and contemporary Emirati art. Among his works are Al-Wafi fi Tarikh Al-Masrah fi Al-Sudan (2025), Al-Turath Al-Sha’bi fi al-Emarat (2014–2024), Fann Al-Sawt Al-Khaliji (2022), and Al-Fan Al-Jadid Fi Al-Emarat (2018).
His contributions have also earned numerous honours, including the Award of Honour at Carthage Theatre Days in 2024, the Award of Recognition and Honour at the Damascus Theater Festival in 2010, and the Culture and Media Pioneers Award from the Taryam Omran Foundation for Cultural and Humanitarian Works.
In 2009, he was also awarded the Key of the City of Sharjah by His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi.
Aydabi earned his PhD in Theater History and Theory, specialising in Comparative Studies, from the University of Bucharest in 1979.
Ismail Al Rifai to Moderate the Conversation
The discussion will be moderated by Ismail Al Rifai, whose artistic and literary practice explores the inner world of human experience and the relationship between individual identity and universal forms.
Al Rifai currently serves as Director of Translation and Arabic Content at Sharjah Art Foundation. His career encompasses visual art, writing, and critical practice, with participation in international exhibitions and biennials as well as numerous solo presentations.
His literary and critical publications include A Promise on Closed Lips (2002), The Stairs of Clay (2006), At the Bend of the River (2021), Narrating Place: A Critical Reading of Sharjah’s Cultural Project (2022), and Inscriptions on the Cross (2025).
He holds a BA in Fine Arts from Damascus University.
Continuing the Dialogues
Through its Dialogues series, Sharjah Art Foundation creates a platform for conversations with figures whose experiences have contributed to the development of the region’s cultural and artistic life.
The upcoming session with Aydabi promises to combine personal recollection with a broader examination of Sharjah’s cultural evolution—tracing a journey from poetry and theatre to the creation of institutions and initiatives that have helped position the emirate as a significant centre for culture and creativity.
Event: From the Realm of Poetry to the Oasis of Culture
Speaker: Dr Yousif Aydabi
Moderator: Ismail Al Rifai
Date: Saturday, 15 August 2026
Time: 6:00pm
Venue: The Flying Saucer, Sharjah