Doha: HE Minister of Culture Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad Al-Thani crowned the winners this evening at the conclusion of the Mathayel Nabati Poetry Competition, organized by the Ministry of Culture. The competition ran for nine months.
According to Qatar News Agency, Saudi poet Mohammed Khaled Al Subaie was announced as the winner of the Mathayel Poet title, receiving a prize of one million Qatari riyals. The other eight poets each received 100,000 riyals, bringing the total prizes of the final episode to QR 1.8 million.
Director of the Qatar Poetry Center, Shabeeb bin Arar Al Nuaimi, stated during the closing ceremony that the grand finale of the second season of Mathayel represents a significant literary and cultural milestone. It reflects the success of the initiative in nurturing poetic talent and reviving the public's passion for authentic poetry.
He emphasized that the Mathayel competition was not just a creative contest but a space where creativity meets identity, talent meets heritage, and beauty meets deeper meaning. From the outset, the Ministry of Culture ensured that the competition would be a platform to discover poetic talent and reconnect the audience with eloquent verse and refined language.
Al Nuaimi highlighted that reaching the final stage this season reflects the sustained efforts over the past months, as demonstrated by the advanced poetic works and the brilliance shown by the finalists. Their poems carried noble values, sincerity of emotion, and beauty of expression.
He praised the strong support the competition receives from HE Minister of Culture Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad Al-Thani, emphasizing that his ongoing support for creativity and encouragement of talent reflects his belief in the role of literature in strengthening national identity, enriching the cultural landscape, and elevating poetry and poets.
Al Nuaimi expressed gratitude to all poets who participated this season, acknowledging their contributions that strengthened the competition's presence on the cultural scene.
For his part, poet Mohammed Khaled Al Subaie expressed great happiness at winning the second edition. He remarked on the honor of being crowned in his second homeland, Qatar, and expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Culture, which he said had succeeded in advancing the literary movement in the region and the Arab world. He noted that the competition was very strong, with each poet proving their merit, separated only by slight differences.