Abu Dhabi is set to host a new season of the highly anticipated Prince of Poets competition. Organised by the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority, the TV programme, held biennially at the Al Raha Beach Theatre, stands as one of the largest platforms dedicated to discovering and nurturing poetic talent.
The Prince of Poets programme committee has concluded the evaluation process for its eleventh season, carefully reviewing and assessing submissions. From a vast pool of entries, 150 poets have been shortlisted to meet the jury at the Al Raha Beach Theatre in Abu Dhabi in October 2024. During this stage, the committee will narrow down the contestants through a series of competitive tests, ultimately selecting the final 20 poets who will advance to the live episodes in December 2024.
This season, the number of applicants for the Prince of Poets programme exceeded 1,000 poets from 33 countries, marking the largest diversity of nationalities in the competition’s history. This milestone reflects the programme’s expanding global reach and its growing influence in promoting Arabic poetry across various continents. The wide geographic representation underscores the competition's role in enhancing the presence of Arabic verse on the international stage.
This year’s edition welcomed submissions from poets hailing from 14 non-Arab countries, indicating a growing trend of international participation. Previous seasons have featured poets from countries such as India, the US, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Mali and Nigeria.
The title of Prince of Poets has been awarded consecutively for 10 seasons to poets from seven Arab countries: Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Yemen, Syria, Mauritania, and the Sultanate of Oman.
Poets from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have had the most success in securing the title of Prince of Poets, winning first place in four consecutive seasons, from the sixth to the ninth, which accounts for 40 per cent of the total titles awarded.
Poets from the UAE, Mauritania, Syria, Yemen, Egypt, and the Sultanate of Oman have each won the title once.
In its 10th season, the competition marked a historic milestone as the first female poet claimed the title of Prince of Poets in the history of the most prestigious and largest poetry programme in the Arab world. Over the 10 seasons, a total of 53 poets reached the top ranks, with female participants comprising a substantial 60 poets, representing approximately 24 per cent of the total entries.
Over the course of 10 consecutive seasons, Prince of Poets has showcased 245 poets representing 25 countries.
The first-place winner will be honoured with the title of Prince of Poets, along with the Poetry Burda (cloak) that symbolises Arab heritage, a ring representing the title of Emir (Prince), and a cash prize of AED1 million. The second place winner will receive a cash prize of AED500,000, the third place winner will be awarded AED300,000, the fourth place winner will receive AED200,000, and the fifth place winner will be granted AED100,000.
Since the competition’s first edition, the Poetry Academy, part of the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority, has been dedicated to publishing the works of poets who have reached the top ranks. In its second edition, the Prince of Poets was honoured with the shield and certificate of the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Award for Arabic Poetry, highlighting its status as one of the key initiatives of the Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority.
