Souk Okaz contest winners honored

Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal inaugurated the Souk Okaz festival in Taif on Tuesday in the presence of Education Minister Prince Faisal bin Abdullah and SCTA President Prince Sultan bin Salman.
The governor honored Saudi poet Eissa Ali Mohammed Jaraba, who won this year’s Okaz Prize for Poetry. Jaraba, who was selected for the prize from 48 contestants from the Arab world, also received a cash award of SR300 000.
Jaraba commended Prince Khaled for organizing the event. “I also take this opportunity to extend my appreciation to all those who worked for this festival, including Saad Marik, supervisor, and Geraidi Al-Mansouri, its secretary.”
More than 3,000 people, including academics and 25 foreign diplomats, attended the opening.
Haider Jawad Al-Abdullah, also from Saudi Arabia, won the prize for young poets. He was picked from among 13 contestants.
“The total value of Okaz prizes has reached SR1.5 million,” said Prince Khaled, adding that 602 individuals from 14 countries had contested for the various cultural prizes.
Prince Khaled thanked Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and Crown Prince Salman for their support to the Souk Okaz project as part of the government’s efforts to promote the country’s culture and traditions. He revealed plans to develop Souk Okaz into a full-fledged tourist center while stressing its role in promoting creativity among Saudis.
“It’s a venue for people to present their creativity and exchange their thoughts. It’s also a venue for promoting culture, literature and tourism,” he said.
The festival includes six seminars attended by leading intellectuals from Saudi Arabia and other countries. A variety of programs, including five dramas, have been planned, in addition to folk events attended by troupes from different parts of the Makkah Province.
Other Souk Okaz winners included Abdullah Al-Shathry, a Saudi who won the first prize in photography. Majed Al-Amiry of Jordan won second place, while Ali Al-Ghafry from Oman came third. Ibrahim Al-Ruhaimy, another Saudi national, came fourth, and Arwa Al-Hausawi, also a Saudi, took the fifth place.
Muhammad Noor Amjad from Pakistan won first place in Arabic calligraphy, with a cash award of SR50,000. Mustafa Barildar from Turkey won the second prize, while Farhad Yassin Nader of Iraq took the third prize. Abdul Rahman Yahya from Morocco, Abdul Rahman Al-Sulaimi, a Saudi, and Maleeh bint Abdullah were the winners in the portrait and poetry category. Ali bin Abdullah Al-Shatwi won the prize for excellence and scientific innovation.