Khalaf bin Hathal

Khalaf bin Hathal Al-Otaibi is a Saudi poet who has recited his Nabati verse at official national occasions. [1][3]

His poems were included in the opening ceremonies of various sessions of the National Festival for Heritage and Culture, among them its nineteenth session on 22 Shawwal 1424 AH and its twenty-fifth session on 2 Rabi' al-Thani 1431 AH, corresponding to 18 March 2010. [8][1]

Khalaf bin Hathal is known at official occasions as “the Poet Major General Khalaf bin Hathal Al-Otaibi”, a designation in which the poetic standing and the military rank meet, and he belongs to the Otaiba tribe. [1][2]

The poems Khalaf bin Hathal has recited at official national occasions are classified as Nabati poetry. At the opening ceremony of the twenty-first session of the National Festival for Heritage and Culture in 1427 AH, his Nabati poem was placed alongside a classical Arabic poem in the same ceremony. [3]

His recitation has repeatedly come after a poem by another poet at these ceremonies: at the opening of the twenty-second session the poet Mahdi bin Ahmed Al-Hakami recited his poem and Khalaf bin Hathal then recited his Nabati poem, at Janadriyah 24 his recitation came after a poem by the poet Abdullah bin Idris, and at Janadriyah 25 after a poem by the poet Jassim Al-Sahih. [2][6][1]

The nineteenth session of the National Festival for Heritage and Culture opened on 22 Shawwal 1424 AH, and its opening ceremony included the operetta “Janadriyah, the Lion's Den”, a poem by the poet Mohammed Abdullah Al-Museitir, and a Nabati poem by Khalaf bin Hathal. [8] At the twenty-second session, opened under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques on 29 Shawwal 1425 AH, corresponding to 12 December 2004, he recited his Nabati poem at the opening ceremony. [2][4]

He took part in the opening ceremony of the twenty-first session on 16 Muharram 1427 AH, corresponding to 15 February 2006, with a Nabati poem, and at the same ceremony the writer Abdullah bin Ahmed Al-Abduljabbar was honoured as the Saudi cultural figure of that year. [3]

At Janadriyah 24, which opened on 7 Rabi' al-Awwal 1430 AH, corresponding to 4 March 2009, under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, his Nabati poem was included in the ceremonial programme alongside a classical Arabic poem by the poet Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Idris and the operetta “Watan Al-Shumoos”, and he recited his poem after bin Idris's poem. [5][6][7] At the opening ceremony of Janadriyah 25 on 2 Rabi' al-Thani 1431 AH, corresponding to 18 March 2010, he recited his Nabati poem after a poem by the poet Jassim Al-Sahih. [1]

Q: Who is Khalaf bin Hathal Al-Otaibi? A: A Saudi poet known as “the Poet Major General”, belonging to the Otaiba tribe, whose poetry at national occasions is classified as Nabati. [1][2][3]

Q: What kind of poetry is his? A: Nabati poetry, which he has recited at the opening ceremonies of sessions of the National Festival for Heritage and Culture alongside classical Arabic poems. [3]

Q: In which sessions of the National Festival for Heritage and Culture did he take part? A: In the nineteenth in 1424 AH, the twenty-second in 1425 AH, the twenty-first in 1427 AH, in Janadriyah 24 in 1430 AH, and in Janadriyah 25 in 1431 AH. [8][2][3][5][1]

Q: When did he recite his poem at Janadriyah 24? A: At its opening ceremony on 7 Rabi' al-Awwal 1430 AH, corresponding to 4 March 2009, after a poem by the poet Abdullah bin Idris. [5][6][7]

Q: What is he known for besides poetry? A: He holds the rank of Major General, so the poetic standing and the military rank meet in his official designation. [1]