Souk Okaz winners to be named Tuesday

Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal will announce the Souk Okaz prizewinners on Tuesday following a meeting of the historical souk’s supervisory committee.
The prizes will have a total value of SR 1.1 million.
The committee comprises Education Minister Prince Faisal bin Abdullah, Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities Chairman Prince Sultan bin Salman, Culture and Information Minister Abdul Aziz Khoja and Higher Education Minister Khaled Al-Anqari. Muhammad Samman, spokesman of Souk Okaz, said the committee would review preparations to launch Souk Okaz on Sept. 11, its activities and programs as well as honoring its supporters.
He added: “The jury received the nominated works for the prize on July 15 and classified them in accordance with the set criteria and standards.”
He said the committee had received 578 nominations from poets, artists, scientists, calligraphists and photographers. “The increase in the number of nominations this year reflects the prize’s credibility.”
Prizes are allocated for the best poet, best young poet, best scientific work, best Arabic calligraphy, best photography, best painting and best poem.
The total value of these prizes is SR 800,000.
Samman said: “There are two more prizes; one for the best handicraft and the other for the best folklore with a total value of SR 320,000.”
Samman said 35 poets from different Arab countries were contesting the best poet prize.