Uniting voices from youth and poets worldwide to inspire hope
An annual celebration of poetry, music, and universal values
Snapshot – By the Numbers:
13 editions since 2012
900 attendees in 2024,
800+ in 2025
250+ schools
involved in 2025
16 spoken languages; 90+ renowned poets; 27+ musicians; 200+ student poets
Our Origin & Mission
Inspired by Dr. Daisaku Ikeda’s belief in poetry’s power to connect hearts, The Poetic Heart began in 2012 with SGI‑Gulf and partners like Dubai Knowledge Village and DIAC
A multilingual symposium promoting peace, friendship, tolerance & human dignity, held annually in February
Over the years, it has hosted 73 international poets, 21 musicians, 159 school poets—including participants with determination
Event Experience & Highlights
2024 & 2025 Editions
- Venue & Theme 2024: Building a Sustainable Future, Together – attended by 900 people with live & online broadcast
- 2025 Edition Plans: Feb 5–6 at Zabeel Ladies Club & EIBFS, 800+ youth from 250 schools, poets from Egypt, India, UK, Oman; musicians including Naseem chorus
Performances:
- SGI Gulf Chorus Naveem performing Ikeda’s poems since 2014
- Distinguished poets like Dr. Shihab Ghanem, Zeina Hashem Beck, K. Satchidanandan featured
Voices & Performers
Poets:
Regional & international poets in >16 languages.
Student Poems:
200+ school students from 35–250 schools
(Al Noor, Manzil, SNF included) .
Musicians:
Jason Carter, Sami Yusuf, Esther Eden, Naseem chorus, etc.
Themes & Poetic Journey
Founded in 2004, SGI Gulf began its journey as an extension of the global SGI network to engage residents in the UAE and Gulf region in activities that promote culture, sustainability & education for peace.
2022
Resilience
2023
Rekindling Values and Co-existence
2024
Building a Sustainable Future, Together
2025
Connecting Humanity
Reflections & Legacy
Impact:
- 66,000+ attendees cumulatively over 14 editions.
- Deep emotional resonance (“emotional & enjoyable experience” – Shaikha Al Mutairi; “passion of poets and students” – Claudio Pozzani) .
- Inclusive participation by People of Determination via Emirates NBD’s CSR Together Limitless.
Testimonials:
- “The poet’s words can generate harmony…”
— Dr. Daisaku Ikeda - “This is the third time… I’m impressed by the passion…” — Claudio Pozzani
Participate & Support
You’re invited to join the journey:
- Poets & Musicians: Submit bios and poem/music proposals
- Schools: Engage students in student‑poet programs, including People of Determination
- Sponsors & Partners: Support community culture -aligned with Dubai Knowledge Village, ADEK, Emirates NBD