ABU DHABI, UAE, 14 November 2016: His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, honoured the winners of the National Day Calligraphy Competition, launched by Aldar Properties PJSC (Aldar), Abu Dhabi’s leading listed property development, investment and management company, in a ceremony today at Yas Mall.
In first place, Deyaa Allam received a prize of AED 100,000 for his stunning calligraphic interpretation of the poem “الدار عامرة بأھلها” (meaning, the beauty of our home comes from its people). Jalal Al Mohareb came in second place, accepting the AED 50,000 prize and Fatima Al Hammadi came in the third place, accepting the AED 25,000 prize.
Commenting on the awards, H.E. Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chief Executive Officer, Aldar, said:
“We were extremely proud and humbled to see the passion for our country expressed through the art form of calligraphy. We would like to thank H.E. Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan for his continuous support in developing and shaping the arts and culture scene of the country. We would also like to thank all those who enthusiastically participated, and we offer our congratulations to today’s winners.
The UAE’s numerous achievements are testament to the success of our founders’ approach of harnessing our traditions and heritage in pursuit of a vision for a prosperous future – economically, culturally, and socially. This calligraphy competition has been a clear demonstration of this.”
Aldar received more than 290 entries for the competition – launched on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the UAE’s founding – from age groups that ranged from teenagers to retirees, reflecting calligraphy’s deep-rooted role in the UAE’s artistic and cultural landscape.
The judging panel, led by esteemed Emirati calligrapher Mohammed Mandi, selected 10 short-listed artists to re-create their calligraphic art pieces at Yas Mall over a 10-day period. The pieces were chosen based on artistic hand lettering, creative interpretation of the poem, and effective use of colour and design.
The song was produced by Aldar in collaboration with famed Emirati artists, poet Hassan Al Obaidly, composer Moussa Mohammed, and singer Aida Al Menhali.
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