Zaman: Prince Khalid Al-Faisal’s support of the Academy is the driving force of its success and achievement
date of publication : 2019-03-25Zaman: Prince Khalid Al-Faisal’s support of the Academy is the driving force of its success and achievement
This past Wednesday the Advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Prince Khalid Al-Faisal witnessed, in the presence of his deputy Prince Badr bin Sultan and Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, the announcement of the winners of the first edition of the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal International Arabic Poetry Award.
TU President Dr. Husam bin Abdul Wahhab Zaman announced the winners of the prize: Sudanese poet Muhammad Abdullah Abdul Bari (for standard Arabic poetry) won the first prize worth SR500, 000, Egyptian poet Fawzi Mahmoud Khidr (for dramatic poetry) won the second prize worth SR 300, 000, and Iraqi poet Karim Odeh Luaibi (for sung poetry) won the third prize worth SR 200, 000. TU President expressed his appreciation to Prince Khalid Al-Faisal for giving Taif University the opportunity to host both the Arabic Poetry Academy and the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal International Prize for Arabic Poetry.
Prince Khalid Al-Faisal thanked the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their sponsorship of culture and promotion of cultural, intellectual and educational activities in Saudi Arabia. Congratulating the winners, HRH added, "It is enough pride for this land to be the site in which the Holy Quran was revealed and the cradle of the Seal of Messengers. God Almighty also honored us by making us serve His guests during Hajj, and this compels us to make our country a beacon of learning and thought.”
He also announced the creation of a new branch of the prize worth SR500, 000 for Saudi college and high school students whereby the first winner will receive SR300, 000 and the second SR200, 000. Thus the total value of the prize will be SR1, 500, 000. HRH pointed out the importance of the prize, which bears the name of Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal, may God have mercy on him, who was able to promote Saudi poetry in the Arab world. HRH stressed the need to foster learning, thought, and culture as the foundations of social and economic progress in Saudi Arabia.
On the occasion of the announcement of the winners of the first edition of the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal International Prize for Arab Poetry, TU President Dr. Zaman congratulated the Advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, Prince of Makkah and the Chair of the Academy’s Board of Trustees. TU President also congratulated the three poets who deservedly won the award after a tough competition with a large number of candidates from all over the Arab world. Dr. Zaman also thanked Prince Khalid Al-Faisal for announcing the creation of a new branch of the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal International Prize for Arabic Poetry for Saudi high school and college students. As Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the Arabic Poetry Academy, TU President noted Prince Khalid Al-Faisal’s great support for the Academy since its inception. Dr. Zaman stressed that this support was behind the success achieved in processing the award competition applications in record time, in full compliance with the announced standards and conditions. Dr. Zaman also expressed his thanks to the Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan for his support of the Academy, expressing his hope for an active partnership in the future between the Ministry and the Academy to serve Arab culture and poetry.
According to the award secretariat, the jury received 200 applications, 234 users applied online, but only 47 participants from 11 countries completed their applications, and 9 applications were incomplete. The Arabic Poetry Academy, headquartered at Taif University, is specialized in developing and promoting standard Arabic poetry through honoring outstanding poets, supporting young talents, organizing poetic and critical seminars, and promoting standard Arabic poetry in our contemporary culture.
The Academy began receiving nominations from about 200 government and civil authorities in various Arab countries, including 15 ministries of culture, 17 Arab cultural attachés in Saudi Arabia, all Saudi universities, major Arab universities, cultural institutions and literary clubs in Saudi Arabia and abroad, and similar Arab cultural institutions.