Doha: Qatar University honored the winners of the fourth edition of its poetry competition of 2025 during a closing ceremony attended by Vice President for Student Affairs, Dr. Mohammed Diab, along with several university officials, faculty members, and students.

According to Qatar News Agency, the university announced that this year's competition was held under the theme "Qatar: Authenticity and Modernity." Participants presented a selection of poems before a judging panel composed of poetry specialists from the Department of Arabic Language and Literature, who evaluated submissions based on academic criteria and artistic merit.

Student Abdulrahman Rajeh won first place, followed by Salman bin Bilal Jawhar, then Esraa Rifaat.

During his speech at the ceremony, Director of the Student Activities Department, Abdullah Al Mulla, emphasized that the competition has become a distinguished hallmark of Qatar University's cultural activities, a vibrant space where eloquence meets creativity, and talent merges with language to elevate meaning and expression. He noted that Classical Arabic represents the language of cultural identity, a symbol of authenticity, and a bridge linking the present to Arab and Islamic heritage.

He added that the competition goes beyond celebrating poetry and linguistic performance; it also aims to instill a love for the Arabic language among students and encourage refined expression of thought and values.

For his part, Dr. Abdelhaq Belabed, representing the Department of Arabic Language and Literature at the College of Arts and Sciences, affirmed that strengthening national identity is inseparable from reinforcing linguistic identity. He highlighted the department's continued efforts in this regard through various initiatives, foremost among them is the poetry competition.

He also praised Qatar University's pivotal role in supporting initiatives that reinforce Arabic language's status and presence in academia, underscoring that such efforts nurture linguistic awareness and deepen students' pride in their national and cultural identity.