The Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtain Cultural Foundation announced the winners of the 20th Abdulaziz Saud Al-Babtain Prize for Poetic Creativity on Monday in Kuwait. The prize aims to support poets and critics, promote the Arabic language, and emphasize the cultural and humanitarian significance of poetry across Arab societies.
Saud Al-Babtain, chairman of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees, described this milestone edition as a continuation of a long-standing commitment to Arabic poetry as a profound expression of Arab identity and collective memory. He highlighted the prize as a platform where diverse poetic and critical voices from different generations and artistic schools come together, fostering an ongoing dialogue bridging past, present, and future creative contributions. Al-Babtain emphasized that nurturing the Arabic language remains central to the Foundation’s mission and that supporting poets and critics extends beyond honoring winners to sustaining the vitality and evolution of Arab cultural expression.
The 20th edition showcased significant geographical and artistic diversity, underscoring the continual renewal of Arabic poetry and its relevance to contemporary consciousness and emotion. The competition attracted approximately 564 submissions across its categories from July 2025 through January 2026.
In the Creativity Award category for Poetry Criticism, with a prize of $80,000, the award was jointly granted to Dr. Mohamed Saleh Bouamrani of Tunisia for his book *Gnosis and Poetic Emotions* and Dr. Abdelkader Fidouh of Algeria for *Poetry and the Questions of Civilization*.
The Best Poetry Collection Award, valued at $40,000, was shared by Egyptian poet Hassan Shehab El-Din for *A Planet and Fifty Galaxies* and Yemeni poet Jabr Baadani for *The Skirt Dancer*. The Best Poetry Collection prize for poets under 35, worth $20,000, went to Nigerian poet Nasser Al-Maliki for *As If I Were Him*.
The $20,000 prize for Best Poem was divided between Iraqi poet Ali Al-Imara for *Imru’ Al-Qais’s Obsessions on the Road* and Egyptian poet Saad Al-Qali’i for *The Misguided Party*. In the under-35 category for Best Poem, Egyptian poet Hazem Mustafa won for *Unity*, while Palestinian poet Sumaya Al-Wadi was recognized for *Diaries of Ordinary Bombing*, sharing a $10,000 prize.
The Lifetime Achievement Award for Creativity in Poetry, with an endowment of $100,000, was presented to Syrian poet Abdul Qader Al-Hosni in acknowledgment of his distinguished career and significant contributions to the art form.
The Foundation's announcement reflects the prize’s ongoing role in highlighting the vibrancy and dynamism of the Arab poetic landscape while reinforcing the cultural importance of poetry within the region.