KUWAIT CITY, 31 August 2026 – The Abdulaziz Saud AlBabtain Cultural Foundation has announced the winners of the 20th session of the Abdulaziz Saud AlBabtain Prize for Poetic Creativity. Prizes totalling 270,000 USD have been awarded to ten poets and critics from eight countries.
The 20th session received 564 submissions between July 2025 and January 2026. The Foundation stated that the session reflects the prize’s continuing commitment to Arabic poetry, its poets and its critics.
The Lifetime Achievement Award, valued at 100,000 USD, was awarded to the Syrian poet Abdulqader Al‑Husni in recognition of his poetic career and creative output.
The Poetry Criticism Prize, valued at 80,000 USD, was shared between Dr Mohammed Salah Al‑Bouamrani of Tunisia, for Stylistics of Mysticism and Poetic Emotions, and Dr Abdelkader Fidouh of Algeria, for Poetry and Questions of Civilization.
The Best Poetry Collection Prize, valued at 40,000 USD, was shared between Hassan Shehab Eldin of Egypt, for Planet and Fifty Galaxies, and Jabr Bodaani of Yemen, for The Tanoura Dancer.
The Best Poetry Collection Prize for poets under 35, valued at 20,000 USD, was awarded to Nasser Al‑Maliki of Nigeria for As If I Am Him.
The Best Poem Prize, valued at 20,000 USD, was shared between Ali Al‑Imara of Iraq, for Obsessions of Imru’ al‑Qais on the Road, and Saad Al‑Qlaei of Egypt, for The Misguided Party.
The Best Poem Prize for poets under 35, valued at 10,000 USD, was shared between Hazem Mostafa of Egypt, for Solitude, and Somaya Al‑Wadi of Palestine, for Diaries of Ordinary Shelling.