| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Real Name | Ousha bint Khalifa Al Suwaidi |
| Othername(s) | Fatat Al-Arab, Ousha Al Sha'er, Mother of Emirati Poetry |
| Profession | Poet |
| Physical Stats | |
| Height (approx.) | 5' 6" (168 cm) |
| Eye Colour | Black |
| Hair Colour | Dark Brown |
| Awards, Honours | • 2010- Honorary Award at the 11th Sharjah Festival of Classic Poetry • 2010- Abu Dhabi Award • 2014- Personality of the Year Award Emirates Airline Festival of Literature  • 2011- A section of the Women's Museum in Dubai was dedicated in her honour • 2019- Abu Dhabi Festival Award by the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF) |
| Personal Life | |
| Date of Birth | 1 January 1920 (Thursday) |
| Birthplace | Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, UAE |
| Date of Death | 27 July 2018 |
| Place of Death | Dubai |
| Age (at the time of death) | 98 Years |
| Zodiac sign | Capricorn |
| Nationality | Emirati |
| Hometown | Al Ain |
| Religion | Islam |
| Family | |
| Parents | Father- Khalifa Bin Al Sheikh Ahmad Bin Khalifa Al Suwaid |
Some Lesser Known Facts About Ousha
- Ousha bint Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Suwaidi was born during a time when the UAE was still a collection of small tribal communities. She was born into a household that loved literature.
- Ousha Khalifa and her family moved to Qatar in her early teenage years. She lived there for 15 years and then moved back to her hometown, Al Ain.
- She was immensely influenced by the rich traditions of the Bedouin people, who valued storytelling and poetry as both entertainment and a means of preserving history. These traditions left a long-lasting impact on her early years, and that is how she decided to pursue a career in the field of poetry.
- While growing up, Ousha Khalifa had limited access to formal education, which was common for women in her time.
- As a youngster, she was fortunate enough to meet many poets and listen to their respective poetry due to her family being inclined towards poetry. She started reciting and writing poetry at the tender age of 14.
- Her family, particularly her father, encouraged her poetic ambitions and talent, and Ousha started participating in local gatherings known as ‘diwan’ where poets would recite their work.
- Soon after, at the age of 15, Ousha Khalifa’s poetry talent and poetry recitals were recognised by the poetry community. Getting recognised for the same was a massive accomplishment in its ownself during those times, considering how male-dominated the poetry field was.
- Her prominence in poetry rose during the 1950s and 1960s, when the UAE was witnessing the beginning of its modern identity.
- In the late 1980s, Ousha bint Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Suwaidi moved to Dubai.
- The majority of her poetry work was influenced by the classical Arab poets such as Al-Mutanabbi, Abu Tammam, and Al-Ma’arri. Apart from the classical poets, she was also influenced by the local Nabati poets, including Al Majidi bin Thahir, Rashid Al Khalawi, Saleem bin Abdul Hai, and Mohsin Hazzani.
- In 1989, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (Crown Prince of Dubai, as of 2025) dedicated a poem from his first published collection to Ousha Khalifa.
- The Prince also gave the poetess a nickname, ‘Fatat Al Arab’ (Arab Laureate Poetess) instead of her original name, ‘Fatat Al Khaleej’ (Girl of the Gulf), following her participation in a series of poetry recitals with him.
- Ousha the Poet’s classical Arabic published poetry covered many different themes, including patriotic sentiments, praise, nostalgia, wisdom, and love.
- Ousha Khalifa was regarded as one of the finest Arabic Nabati poets of the 20th century, with a large number of her poems sung by popular Emirati and Arab artists.
- Through the songs, her words made a bigger contribution towards the literary society of the UAE by highlighting the role of the feminine literary movement in local cultural projects.
- Her work has been considered influential in the development of Nabati poetry in the United Arab Emirates, specifically among young female poets.
- The first book written by Ousha was published in 1990 by the poet Hamad Bin Khalifa Bou Shehab. The second edition of the book was released in the year 2000.
- Many of Ousha’s poems became the basis of song lyrics sung by local artists.
- In 2011, an annual award for female Emirati poets was established in Ousha bint Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Suwaidi’s name.
- In the same year, Dr. Rafia Ghubash published the official biography of Ousha Bint Khalifa Al Suwaidi titled ‘Fatat Al Arab.’
- In 2020, Ousha Khalifa’s poetry and life were celebrated with a show titled ‘Ousha & the Moon,’ which was showcased to the world as part of Expo 2020 Dubai. This was the first time her life was narrated in both Arabic and English.
- On 28 November 2022, she was celebrated with a Google Doodle, and the doodle image was created by Abu Dhabi-based artist Reem Al Mazrouei. Google showcased her thought process and the elements she wanted to incorporate into her illustration. Some of these are palm trees, the desert, paper, and the moon.
Ousha bint Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Suwaidi’s Google Doodle image (2022)
- Ousha’s poetry was all written in Classical Arabic. Her vocabulary was mainly based on the environment in which she lived her life, portraying intimate pictures of the local environment, which included the land and sea, past and present, in the United Arab Emirates.
- She was known as a master of metaphors who also embedded deep philosophical thought into her work.
- Ousha bint Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Suwaidi wrote many poems in her entire career and some of those poetries are ‘We guarantee it for the day of life, there is no harm in it,’ ‘O Seeker of Glory,’ ‘Effective in the Pulse of the Veins,’ and ‘Leave me for Love, Doctor.’
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