Doha: The Cultural Village Foundation (Katara) announced that the fourth edition of the Katara Prize for Arabic Poetry: Mothers of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with them) has received 304 submissions from 20 Arab and foreign countries. The prize committee has selected Umm Salama, Hind bint Abi Umayya Al Makhzumiyya (may Allah be pleased with her), as the featured figure for this year's edition.

According to Qatar News Agency, Egypt, Sudan, and Somalia topped the list of participating countries with a total of 122 entries. The Arab Maghreb countries ranked second with 68 submissions, followed by the Levant and Iraq in third place with 59 entries. Gulf countries ranked fourth with 53 submissions. Only two entries were received from non-Arab countries.

Katara opened submissions for the fourth edition of the prize at the beginning of Ramadan and closed them on the 30th day of the holy month. Director of Events and Cultural Affairs at Katara and General Supervisor of the Katara Prize for Arabic Poetry Khalid Abdulrahim Al Sayed stated that Katara Publishing House will soon release three critical studies on the winning poems from the past three editions of the prize.

The Katara Prize for Arabic Poetry: Mothers of the Believers aims to strengthen reverence for the Prophet's household, especially the Mothers of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with them), in the memory of future generations. It also seeks to produce a modern poetic anthology highlighting their virtues and histories, their roles in the Islamic mission, and their influence on the development of women's roles in society.

Additionally, the prize encourages the artistic and poetic dramatization of their lives and promotes the use of poetic storytelling in their praise. The total value of the prize is QAR 120,000, distributed among three winners: QAR 60,000 for first place, QAR 40,000 for second, and QAR 20,000 for third.