Today's Edition
SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
The Ministry of Culture held the 19th edition of the Al Burda Awards at Louvre Abu Dhabi, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The event was attended by leading cultural, intellectual and artistic figures from the UAE and beyond.
The ceremony celebrated exceptional creators in Islamic arts across typographic design, calligraphy (traditional and contemporary), illumination, and three poetry categories (Classical Arabic, Nabati and Free Verse).
Organised under the theme "Social Cohesion and Solidarity", this year's edition aligned with The Year of Community 2025.
Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al Qassimi, Minister of Culture, said: "Over the past editions, Al Burda Award has succeeded in promoting Islamic arts with a contemporary vision that preserves authenticity and focuses on innovation, becoming today a global platform that honours creators in the fields of calligraphy, ornamentation, poetry and contemporary arts."
He added: "With every new edition of Al Burda Award, we reinforce the position of Islamic art as a source of cultural dialogue and a platform that expresses the values of beauty, peace and mutual respect, embodying the UAE's message in supporting civilisation dialogue among cultures."
This year, the award attracted artists from over 50 countries, with more than 1,300 works submitted in the Arabic poetry, calligraphy, and ornamentation categories.
The ceremony also presented an artistic programme titled "Beauty in Unity", with musical and spoken segments that highlighted harmony, diversity, cooperation and growth.
The award honours the legacy of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), promotes beauty, harmony and tolerance, and inspires youth to embrace Islamic arts and cultural exchange.
Aletihad spoke to jury members and winners about this edition's artistic excellence and cultural connection.
Alanood Bukhammas, a graphic design Instructor in the College of Arts and Creative Enterprises at Zayed University in Dubai, served on this year's typography jury for the Al Burda Awards.
She said the overall level of submissions was remarkably strong.
"I think it is one of the strongest, that is why it was actually quite hard to judge the applicants," she said.
Winner in the Traditional Illumination category, Mohsen Moradi, of the Islamic Republic of Iran, expressed deep gratitude for the award and the festival's vision.
He said: "I thank the founders of this festival. We will definitely see its impact in the artistic community and the Islamic community in the future. God willing, we artists can pursue our mission along with the Ministry of Culture and the UAE communities and be with them on this path."
His work "The Radiance of Taqwa" uses intricate geometric motifs to symbolise the equality of all human beings before God.
In the Classical Arabic Poetry category, Egyptian poet Nashwa Gad took first place for "The Train of Light Continues."
She said she was "very happy" with this, her first major literary award and described poetry as "a bridge that connects people and carries spiritual and emotional truths."
Her poem, she explained, centres on "the light of the Prophet and the enduring radiance of his message", and she believes the recognition will encourage her "to keep writing and reach more readers."
Al Burda Award Winners
• In the Typographic Design category, the winners were: Wisam Alsaegh (first place), Nur Syamsi (second place), and Yasmin Naeem (third place), recognised for their innovative interpretations of Arabic letterforms in contemporary visual styles.
• The Contemporary Calligraphy category saw Mohamadreza Bashiri claim first place for a work that blended modernity with the timeless spirit of Arabic calligraphy. He was followed by Mehdi Zamani Boloukani in second and Nagat Farouk Ibrahim Soliman in third. Mohammad Saeed Naghashian placed fourth, while Reihaneh Keshtgar Ghasemi took fifth place for their creative contemporary calligraphic expressions.
• In the Traditional Calligraphy category, Ahmed Elhawary secured first place for a meticulously executed artwork rooted in classical principles. Dr. Belal Mokhtar Salah Atia earned second place, while Meryem Nuruzihalilani came in third. Ahmadali Namazi placed fourth, while Ali Mamdou and Ijaz Rahim shared fifth place for works demonstrating exceptional mastery of traditional calligraphy techniques.
• The Traditional Illumination category recognised Mohsen Moradi with first place, followed by Zahra Doosti in second and Habibulrahman Soltani in third. Elham Golafrouz Nafouti placed fourth, while Afsaneh Mahdavi and Alireza Abasalt shared fifth place, each presenting distinguished ornamental compositions inspired by Islamic artistic heritage.
• In the Contemporary Illumination category, Nadir Tatar won first place, Mihriban Beyza Kaya took second place, and Narges Momeni received third place, honouring their successful fusion of tradition with modern artistic approaches.
• The Classical Arabic Poetry category awarded first place to Nashwa Gad for a poem noted for its depth and refined linguistic structure. Emad Abo Ahmad earned second place, and Hasan Mubarak Alrubih received third place.
• Encouragement awards were granted to Fadila Adimi and Mouaz Ouyoun for their promising poetic talent.
• In the Nabati Poetry category, Hamad Almutiri won first place, followed by Abdullah Ali Mubarak AlHajri in second place, and Abdul Aziz Al-Omairi in third, in recognition of poetic works marked by expressive strength and rich linguistic heritage.
• The Free Verse Poetry category saw Zohair Altaheri win first place, Salma Jaffeli take second place, and Ahmed Salama Selim Abed receive third place for their contemporary poetic expressions that conveyed human experience with creative depth.
