ABU DHABI, 9 September 2007 — Millions of Arabs witnessed the crowning of the “Prince of Poets” in the largest cultural competition in the world for choosing the best poet in classical Arabic on Friday night.
The contest is considered a milestone in helping revive classical Arabic poetry. For Arabs, poetry is considered the ultimate art form that has the capability of producing profound emotions in its listeners. As a result Arabs have called poetry “the lawful magic” (“sihr halal”). Classical Arabic poetry dates back to pre-Islamic eras.
Emirati poet Karim Maato took first place with a reward of Dhs1 million. Mohammed Wald Al-Talib from Mauritania took the second spot winning Dhs500,000. Saudi Jassim Al-Sahih came in as second runner up, bagging Dhs300,000.
Sudanese poet Rawdha Al Haj, the only woman to reach the finals, took fourth place and walked away with Dhs200,000. The fifth-place winner was Palestinian Tamim Al-Bargouthi; he won Dhs100,000.
The ceremony to announce the winners took place at Raha Beach and was broadcast live to millions of viewers.
The name of the contest, the “Prince of Poets” or in Arabic “Amir Al-Sho’araa,” comes from the title given to the great Egyptian poet Ahmad Shawqi. In 1927 Shawqi’s peers gave him the title in recognition of his considerable contributions to the literary field.
The award attracted 5,400 contestants from all over the world. Thirty-five people were chosen to attend the final rounds in Abu Dhabi. The contest is produced and supervised by the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage.
