For First-Time Ever, Iraqi Poet Wins Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Prize for Arabic Poetry

In an unprecedented breakthrough for Iraq, the Iraqi poet Aref Al-Saadi won Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Prize for Arabic Poetry. The prize marks the first-ever award for Iraq in such a competition, where 140 contestants were present. Although Al-Saadi won different poetry prizes, this particular one is deemed the most significant in the Arab world. The poet illustrated that Iraq is a pioneer in the field of poetry despite unfavorable political and social reality. Moreover, researchers in the field of literature underscored the profound cultural symbolism of winning such a prize, as it encourages Iraq to strive for more, especially after 2003, an era that was marked with conflicts, which have had a chilling effect on literature and poetry fields.