Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, honoured the winners of the National Day Calligraphy Competition, launched by Aldar Properties, in a ceremony today at Yas Mall.

Deyaa Allam received a first-place prize of AED100,000 for his stunning calligraphic interpretation of a poem about how the beauty of a home comes from its people. Jalal Al Mohareb came in second place and received AED50,000, while Fatima Al Hammadi came in the third place, for a prize of AED 25,000.

Commenting on the awards, Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chief Executive Officer of Aldar, said, "We were extremely proud and humbled to see the passion for our country expressed through the art form of calligraphy. We would like to thank Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan for his continuous support in developing and shaping the arts and culture scene of the country. We would also like to thank all those who enthusiastically participated, and we offer our congratulations to today’s winners.

"The UAE’s numerous achievements are testament to the success of our founders’ approach of harnessing our traditions and heritage in pursuit of a vision for a prosperous future, economically, culturally, and socially. This calligraphy competition has been a clear demonstration of this," he said.

Aldar received more than 290 entries for the competition, which was launched on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the UAE’s founding, from age groups ranging from teenagers to retirees, reflecting calligraphy’s deep-rooted role in the UAE’s artistic and cultural landscape.

The judging panel, led by esteemed Emirati calligrapher Mohammed Mandi, selected 10 short-listed artists to re-create their calligraphic art pieces at Yas Mall over a 10-day period. The pieces were chosen based on artistic hand lettering, creative interpretation of the poem, and effective use of colour and design.