Prince Khalid Al Faisal awarded Sudanese poet Rawda Al-Hajj the Okaz Poetry prize. Along with the award, she received a prize of 300,000 riyals as well as the chance of reciting her poem at the the opening ceremony of Souq Okaz festival on September 11th. She competed with over 35 poets from eight Arab countries. In a statement to Arabstoday, Culture Minister Dr Ahmed Bilal praised the work of the Sudanese poet. He said she gave her country a good reputation for poetry and culture in the Arab world.