The Ministry of Culture and Youth opens registrations open the 17th edition of Al Burda Award

The Ministry of Culture and Youth (MCY) has opened the registrations for the 17th edition of the prestigious Al Burda Award, which celebrates and honors outstanding creativity in traditional Islamic art forms and appreciates the Arabic language, its aesthetics, and its pioneers.

The award pays tribute to the complexity of the Arabic language through receiving original submissions from poets, calligraphers, and artists whose work is inspired by the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), the Holy Quran, and hadiths.

This year, the award will focus on the theme of “Al Mizan- The Balance: Islamic Art as a Catalyst for Sustainability” in line with the UAE’s declaration of 2023 as the UAE Year of Sustainability and highlights how Islamic principles, traditions, and values have a long history of emphasizing the value of protecting the environment.

His Excellency Salem bin Khalid Al Qasimi, Minister of Culture and Youth, said: “Al Burda Award demonstrates the UAE’s leadership position in celebrating creativity and creators. A testament to the UAE’s efforts in cementing Arab and Islamic identity globally, Al Burda provides a platform to artists to showcase their creativity by way of traditional Islamic arts. It’s a way of preserving the rich heritage of arts of the Islamic world and honor its core values of peace and tolerance. 

His Excellency added: “Islamic arts have always enhanced cultural communication with the wider world and are an integral part of humanity’s cultural diversity and heritage.” 

He continued: “Through this award, we seek to emphasize the values that underpin Islamic arts and their role in promoting tolerance and peaceful coexistence.” 

This year, the Al Burda Award invites entries in three categories namely Poetry (Classical and Nabati); Calligraphy (Classical and Modern); and Ornamentation. An award of AED 210,000 will be disbursed in prizes for the first five positions in each category. 

Participants will need to show interest through Al Burda website in submitting a work by the 1st of September and may upload their actual works on the website by the September 30, 2023. The participants will need to send the shipment of their artworks in the Calligraphy and Ornamentation categories between September 30 to October 15, 2023.

Al Burda Award celebrates the birth of the Prophet (PBUH), today it has become a global UAE platform that celebrates and honors Islamic art and the rich aesthetic of the Arabic language and its pioneers. The Award also reinforces the key role of the UAE in supporting Islamic art through its efforts to preserve the artistic heritage of the Islamic civilization and promote outstanding artworks to a global audience.

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