Emirates News Agency reported that Season 12 of Prince of Poets has drawn 1,500 entries from 38 countries after applications closed on Aug. 6. The one-month registration window opened on July 7 and targeted male and female poets aged 18 to 45 from across the Arab world. Submissions arrived through the programme’s official portal and included a range of classical and free-verse works.
A judging panel will now evaluate all entries before inviting shortlisted candidates for interviews, according to the Abu Dhabi Media Office. Those who advance will compete in live television broadcasts from Al Raha Beach Theatre in the capital. The reality-television format has served as a signature element of the programme since its early seasons.
The eventual winner will earn the Prince of Poets title along with a traditional burdah cloak, a championship ring and 1 million UAE dirhams, the organising authority’s prize structure shows. Second place receives 500,000 dirhams, third place 300,000 dirhams, fourth 200,000 dirhams, fifth 100,000 dirhams and sixth 50,000 dirhams. These awards have helped elevate emerging talents in classical Arabic poetry.
Season 11 concluded in early 2025 with Emirati poet Abdulrahman Al-Humairi taking the title, followed by Yemen’s Abdulwahid Omran in second and Syria’s Yazan Issa in third, the Media Office recorded. Morocco’s Othman Hichou Krabchi, Mauritania’s Al-Mukhtar Abdullah Salahi and Emirati Asma Al-Hammadi completed the top six. That earlier edition already reflected growing international reach with entrants from 14 non-Arab countries.
The Abu Dhabi Heritage Authority has organised the competition for more than a decade as a vehicle to preserve Arab cultural heritage and encourage creative expression among younger generations. Previous seasons have featured participants from nations including the United States, India and several African states, authority announcements noted. The programme airs on Abu Dhabi TV and combines artistic competition with public engagement.
Organisers require each submission to consist of either a vertical classical poem of eight to 20 verses or a tafila free-verse piece limited to two stanzas of 10 to 15 lines each, the Media Office detailed. A brief curriculum vitae and a passport copy valid for at least one year must accompany every entry. The authority described the response to Season 12 as evidence of the format’s continuing resonance across borders.
