Faisal, Emir of Makkah Region and Chairman of the Committee Supervising Souq Okaz, announced the names of the winners of Souq Okaz Prize for 2009 at a press conference here, Wednesday. Abdullah Eisa Al-Salama, a poet from Syria, won the “Okaz Poet Prize” worth SR300,000. “The Okaz Youth Poet Prize” worth SR100,000 allocated for Saudi youths went to the Saudi poet Ahmad Yahya Muhammad Qaysi. The “Painting and Poem Prize” worth SR100,000 was shared by Saudi artists Abdullah Khidhir and Taha Sabban. “The Arabic Calligraphy Prize” worth SR100,000 went to Syrian calligrapher ‘Aklah Hobaish Al-Hamad. Present at the press conference were Prince Faisal Bin Abdullah Bin Muhammad Aal Saud, Minister of Education, Prince Sultan Bin Salman, President of Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities (SCTA), Dr. Abdul Aziz Khoja, Minister of Culture and Information, and members of the Souq Okaz Project supervisory committee. Prince Khaled said the activities of Souq Okaz during July 14-26 would include poetic evenings and intellectual seminars figuring poets and litterateurs from the Arab World. Besides theatrical plays, plastic arts and photography exhibitions and folklore shows will also be held. He said the Ministry of Culture and Information would telecast all the activities of Souq Okaz on Channel Five. Prince Khaled said Souq Okaz Project has created 202 job opportunities. Meanwhile, Prince Sultan Bin Salman said Souq Okaz activities are an occasion of great cultural value. He said developing these activities is one of the goals of the SCTA.
