Writing a critical introduction to your poet's work may be a tricky task, especially if you don't know that work firsthand.  But you should still be capable of compiling, collating, and synthesizing what other people have said and editing all that into a brief but pithy narrative.  (Some of the questions your introduction might address:  How well known or well regarded is s/he?  Is popular or critical opinion divided in any way, or has it evolved over the years?  What's thought to be important or distinctive about his/her work, or about her/his place in Arabic Lit?  What are the "stages" of his/her career?  What are thought to be her/his most important work(s), and why?  What do people regard as his/her characteristic styles, techniques, or themes?)

In some cases, the most convenient source for such information may be the Gale Literary Databases, a one-stop resource that lets you simultaneously search up-to-date, online versions of Contemporary Authors, Contemporary Literary Criticism, and the Dictionary of Literary Biography.  No matter how thorough the Gale entries appear, however, you should seek out other sources, as well, since relying on only one source when others are available is just bad scholarly practice, tantamount to plagiarism (even if you paraphrase).  You might find other suitable material by reading book jacket blurbs, biographical notes, headnotes and/or introductory essays in single-author volumes, anthologies in which your poet has been included, or longer critical works about your poet. You may also find reliable biographical information on the Web (but be wary).  In the last two instances, you'll want to consult other members of your team.

You should look elsewhere too, by searching

(You can also ask a reference librarian how else to locate such information.) 

When all else fails, hoof it down to the library and pore over some reference books.  You'll find print editions of the old standbys Contemporary Authors (New Revision Series—HSU Main Reference PN451 .C67) and the Dictionary of Literary Biography (HSU Main Reference PN451 .D53—check the most recent Comprehensive Index for the series), though the online editions (which are comprised in the Gale Literary Databases, above) will probably be more current.  You should also try one or more of the following more specialized reference books, all of which are also in the Reference section on the main floor, not in the stacks.  (This is not an exhaustive list; you may find other useful works on your own.)

Cite your sources appropriately, whether you've summarized, paraphrased, or quoted directly.  (If you summarize or reiterate purely factual information, or a piece of knowledge or opinion that's widely shared, an acknowledgement isn't necessary.)  Be careful, though:  if your paraphrase of any one source is too close to the language and structure of the original, that's essentially plagiarism.  Be judicious, too, about direct quotation:  these days, quoting more than 10% of a single work is often considered a copyright violation, though exceptions may be still granted for educational use.  Use the parenthetical method of citation within the body of your text, and provide a list of Works Cited in MLA format. (Capital Community College in Hartford, CT has an excellent web-based introduction to MLA Style.)