The Ministry of Culture launches the twentieth session of "Burdah Award"

Abu Dhabi, 6 May / WAM / The Ministry of Culture announced the opening of registration for the twentieth session of the “Al Burdah” Award, which celebrates the richness of Islamic culture and its manifestations, and honors creativity in traditional and contemporary Islamic artistic styles, in addition to highlighting the status of the Arabic language and its aesthetics. In its twentieth session, the award examines “The Family is Peace and Mercy” as its theme, in conjunction with the Year of the Family in the UAE.

In order to consolidate the virtue of the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, in building families, the Burdah Award aims to shed light on the fragrant biography of the Prophet Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, and his unique personality, by celebrating Islamic arts as a bridge for cultural communication with the world, and as part of the common human heritage.

The award seeks to highlight the values ​​of tolerance, coexistence and beauty, contribute to the preservation and preservation of traditional Islamic arts, promote innovation and artistic creativity, and motivate younger generations to practice Islamic arts, in addition to representing the cultural and intellectual diversity of the Islamic world, and attracting young and creative talents, in a way that supports the global creative movement.

The Burda Award is generously sponsored by His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, which reflects the pioneering role played by the UAE in sponsoring and supporting Islamic arts based on its strategy aimed at introducing global communities to these arts, preserving the artistic heritage of Islamic civilization, and highlighting the bright image of Islamic culture built on tolerance, coexistence and love.

His Excellency Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al Qasimi, Minister of Culture, said: “The Burdah Award embodies the UAE’s commitment to preserving the artistic heritage of Islamic civilization and its presence in the global cultural scene, and the current session comes within the national efforts aimed at consolidating noble human values, foremost of which is family cohesion and community solidarity in conjunction with the Year of the Family, in a way that expresses our national identity based on compassion and solidarity within the family.”

He added: “This year’s theme reflects a deep awareness of the importance of the family as a fundamental pillar of national identity, and its role in building a cohesive society based on respect and shared responsibility. Through this award, we continue to support creative people around the world to contribute to enhancing the presence of the Arabic language and Islamic arts, and open new horizons for civilizational dialogue that consolidates the image of Islam based on tolerance, coexistence and love.”

His Excellency stressed that the Burda Award has succeeded over the past years in attracting qualitative entries that reflect the creative development in the arts of calligraphy, Arabic poetry and decoration, and contribute to building bridges of knowledge between different cultures.

The award’s theme in Cycle 20 is inspired by verse 36 of Surat An-Nisa: “And worship Allah and do not associate anything with Him, and be good to parents and to relatives and orphans and the needy.” And the neighbor who is a relative, and the neighbor who is a stranger, and the companion by a stranger, and the wayfarer, and what your right hands possess. Indeed, God does not love one who is deceitful. Proud,” as the verse depicts an integrated family model, in which the relationship with God is built on kindness within the family, especially since the verse expands the concept of the family from its narrow framework to the extended family through kindness to relatives, orphans and the poor, to emphasize the role of the family in instilling the values of mercy and social solidarity in the souls of children.

The award’s vision is inspired by the noble Prophet’s hadith: “The best of you is the best to his family, and I am the best to my family,” emphasizing that good treatment within the family represents a high moral standard that contributes to achieving societal stability.

The award is divided into three main branches: Arabic poetry (classical, Nabataean, and free), Arabic calligraphy (traditional, contemporary, and typographic design), and decoration (traditional and contemporary).

The Ministry allocated financial prizes amounting to 210,000 dirhams to the winners of the first three places in both the classical and Nabati poetry categories, and 160,000 dirhams to the winners of the first three places in the free poetry category.

In the field of Arabic calligraphy, the Ministry allocated prizes worth 210,000 dirhams to the winners of the first five places in both the traditional and contemporary Arabic calligraphy categories, in addition to 160,000 dirhams to the winners of the first three places in the typographic design category.

In the field of decoration, the Ministry allocated prizes amounting to 210,000 dirhams to the winners of the first five places in the traditional decoration category, and 160,000 dirhams to the winners of the first three places in the contemporary decoration category.

The award will receive entries until August 22nd via the award’s official website, provided that the artworks for the calligraphy and decoration categories are delivered during the period from August 23rd to September 7th, taking into account the time periods required to ship the artworks and deliver them to the Ministry before September 7th, 2026.

It is worth noting that since its launch in 2004, the Burda Award has honored more than 420 talented people from various countries of the world, including poets, visual artists and calligraphers specializing in Islamic arts, so that the award has become an international Emirati platform that celebrates this ancient art and the aesthetics of the Arabic language.

The nineteenth session of the award received 1,326 works of art submitted from 50 countries around the world, recording a 23% increase in the number of entries compared to the previous session, which strengthens the UAE’s position as a leading center in supporting and promoting Islamic arts at the regional and international levels.

• For more: Follow Khaleejion 24 Arabic, Khaleejion 24 English, Khaleejion 24 Live, and for social media follow us on Facebook and Related