Emirates NBD sponsors Emirates Airline ‘Poetry for All’ competition

Organisers of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature has announced that Emirates NBD is the sponsor of the 'Poetry for All' competition. The bank is a strong advocate for the inclusion of persons with disabilities, and for the first time, the competition will include a new non-competitive performance category for students of determination.

The poetry performance competition has become an annual event on student and school calendars in the UAE, and will be held during the 2018 Festival between 1st - 10th March.

"We are delighted to partner with Emirates NBD to expand the competition's opportunities for young people in the UAE," Isobel Abulhoul, OBE, CEO and Trustee of the Emirates Literature Foundation and Director of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, said. "Every year we are amazed by the passionate poetry recitals from students during the semi-finals and final rounds, and we cannot wait to see the performances in the new category. Providing a platform for students of all abilities to showcase their creativity seems a fitting way to celebrate the 10th Festival and all that we have achieved so far."

This year, the number of the competition's entries is the highest in its history. Held in Arabic and English, the competition is divided into two age categories to encompass both primary and secondary school students. Participants are evaluated on their interpretation of their selected poems as well as their performances.

Suvo Sarkar, Senior Executive Vice President and Group Head - Retail Banking and Wealth Management at Emirates NBD, said, "As part of our commitment to the UAE community, Emirates NBD is pleased to support the Poetry for All competition, a wonderful, creative celebration of poetry and its importance in the Arab world. For our first year as sponsors, we are piloting an inclusion programme to integrate people with disabilities into the competition, and will build on our experience for next year’s edition. We look forward to the performances at the Festival and we wish all the participants the best."

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