Middle East University held a cultural event to honour the late Jordanian poet Abdul Monem Al-Rifai, following his selection by the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organisation (ALECSO) as the poet of the 12th Arab Poetry Day for 2026. The celebration invoked his profound literary and national presence as one of the most prominent poetic voices in both the Jordanian and Arab consciousness.
To explore the nuances of his work, the Department of Arabic Language and Literature within the Faculty of Arts and Educational Sciences organised a specialised lecture entitled “Insights into the Poetry of Abdul Monem Al-Rifai”. ” Delivered by Prof. Nidal Al-Shamali from Al-Balqa Applied University’s Princess Alia University College, the lecture examined pivotal transformations in Al-Rifai’s poetic and national journey. Prof. Al-Shamali particularly highlighted the poet’s relationship with the founder, King Abdullah I, and the subsequent impact of this bond on the formation of his poetic and emotional discourse.
Building upon this historical context, the event revisited the deep national dimensions of Al-Rifai’s legacy as the author of the Jordanian Royal Anthem. Officially adopted as the National Anthem of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan since 1946, his words remain a constant in the Jordanian spirit during national and official occasions, serving as an integral component of the modern state’s cultural identity.