Khalifa bin Tahnoon bin Mohammed Honours Winners of 3rd Edition of Kanz Al Jeel Award.

Al Ain: Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, Sheikh Khalifa bin Tahnoon bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Court, has honoured the winners of the third edition of the Kanz Al Jeel Award at a ceremony held at the Zayed Central Library in Al Ain.According to Emirates News Agency, the award was launched by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) to recognise and celebrate notable works of Nabati poetry, folklore studies, and research that spotlight the heritage of Nabati poetry and its inherent values. The ceremony was held as part of the Al Ain Book Festival 2024 and attended by Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi; Dr. Ali bin Tamim, Chairman of the ALC; and Abdullah Majid Al Ali, Director-General of the National Archives and National Library and Chairman of the award's Higher Committee, along with a number of high-ran king officials.Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi, remarked that the Kanz Al Jeel Award embodies Abu Dhabi's commitment to creativity and cultural innovation. The award nurtures talent and encourages new generations to draw inspiration from the creative traditions of their ancestors. The success of the award in its previous editions is attributed to the support of the UAE's leadership in promoting cultural heritage and cultivating a community of creative expression.In his speech, Dr. Ali bin Tamim congratulated the award winners, praising the high level of competitiveness of the works submitted and their ability to reinforce the aesthetic and humanitarian values of the poetry and verses of the UAE's Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Dr. Ali emphasized the importance of reviving Nabati poetry and traditional arts as essential pillars of the cultural identity of the UAE, highlighting their role in conveying emotions, aspiratio ns, and achievements that reflect the hopes and dreams of the community.Sheikh Khalifa bin Tahnoon bin Mohammed Al Nahyan awarded the Arts category prize to artist Mahsa Davachi from Iran for her painting titled UAE, which skilfully adhered to principles of composition and colour distribution to achieve a remarkable golden ratio. Saudi poet Faisal Al Oteibi was honoured for winning the Poetry Matching category with his poem Al Sheikh Nad, which conveyed values of encouragement and motivation for youth. The Poetic Publications category award went to Emirati poet Ateeq Khalfan Alkaabi for his collection Signatures. In the Creative Personality category, renowned artist and calligrapher Fuad Honda was honoured for his achievements in the field of Arabic calligraphy.The Kanz Al Jeel award is an initiative organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre in line with its mission to preserve the richness of the Arabic language and celebrate the creativity of its poets, particularly in Nabati poetry. This year's edition of the award recorded a 128 per cent increase in participation from last year, with a total of 600 entries from 24 countries, including 19 Arab nations, underscoring its prestigious status since its inception in 2021.