Doha, December 08 (QNA) - The Ministry of Culture is set to conclude the organized second iteration of the Mithayel Nabati Poetry Competition on Thursday within the celebrations of the nation's National Day.

The nine-month contest featured poets competing to reach the finals, with QAR 1 million dedicated to the top winner, while the other eight poets receive QAR 800,000, i.e. QAR 100,000 for each of them. The total awards of the final episode reach QAR 1.8 million.

Director of the Publications and Artistic Works Department at the Ministry of Culture Mubarak bin Abdullah Al Khalifa said the finals will be staged concomitantly with the National Day celebrations, highlighting that among the nine qualified poets there will be a winner who is going to have the grand prize worth QAR 1 million.

The record number of audience underscores the success of this contest in achieving its objectives, Al Khalifa underlined, noting that this competition has become one of the most preeminent and powerful poetry contests in the region.

He elaborated that the competition offers a consequential platform for poets at home and abroad and helps them show up on the poetry stage inside and outside the nation.

Today, Mithayel has morphed into a Gulf and Arab poetry beacon drawing numerous talented segments to participate, Al Khalifa pointed out. He stressed that the two iterations have witnessed wide participation from Qatari poets, as well as those from the Gulf region and Arab nations.

The finalists, he outlined, will present compositions thematically anchored in the Qatar National Day motto, "With You It Rises, From You It Awaits,” with poetic styles that demonstrate the time-honored values which confirm that peoples build nations and nations are advanced through their peoples.

The mechanisms of evaluating the finals are based on 60 points for the primary poem and 40 points for direct improvisation before the judging panel and the audience, the latter constituting a decisive and determining score in selecting the winner, Al Khalifa said.

This contest comes as part of the ministry's efforts to support poetry talent and make a breakthrough in the poetry movement in Qatar, in addition to accentuating Nabati as an enduring part of the Gulf and Arab cultural heritage.

It likewise intends to promote the presence of Nabati poetry among the new generations, in addition to encouraging innovators to showcase novel ideas that preserve patrimonial identity as quintessential models for the previous creative contests the ministry had launched in past years and received a record turnout. (QNA)