RIYADH, 15 July 2007 — Brilliant images featuring children’s activities, life, water, color and natural objects besides biodiversity and Arab heritage dominated the theme of the Almarai Painting Competition this year, which received over 1,800 entries from schoolchildren across the Kingdom.
Thirty students were declared winners and received prizes at a glittering ceremony attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Education and the Almarai Company here.
“The response we received to this painting competition shows that children are intelligent and have the aptitude to achieve… This painting contest was organized with an aim to serve Saudi society and to search the secret of realizing a beautiful and peaceful future for our children,” said Monther M. Tayeb, a spokesman for the Almarai Company.
“We have recognized that the key to such future lies within our children… Pursuing this vision, we have centered our many activities on promoting Saudi society by supporting and funding community initiatives,” he said, adding that paintings have a remarkable way of sending profound messages straight to the hearts of viewers, surpassing language, race and country barriers.
“We have aimed for our children to become familiar with today’s world and to express their concerns in their very own individual ways,” said Yasser A. Al-Tuwaijri, Almarai’s event management officer.
He added that a large number of children attended the award ceremony together with around 200 guests that included Deputy Minister of Education Dr. Abdullah Al-Mogbil and Almarai’s Managing Director Abdul Rahman Al-Muhanna.
Prizes were awarded following decisions made by a jury comprising Dr. Fawaz Abunayyan, Dr. Mohammad Al-Doyhi and Saleh Al-Amri. The winners were broadly categorized into six levels according to the merit and brilliance of their paintings.
The first level of winners were Mohammad Ashoor, Jood Al-Huwereni, Rand Ahmad Al-Thumeri, Yasmeen Tareq Jalal and Yousif Moaath Al-Gwefli. The second level of winners were Arwa Abdul Rahman Al-Mesfer, Botool Nasser Al-Yousif, Turki Khalaf Al-Mutairi, Ragdaa Omar Al-Fawaz and Fatema S. Al-Sehati, and the third level comprised Anas Abdullah Nasher, Sulaiman Mohammad Al-Wesedi, Abdul Aziz Ahmad Al-Thumeri, Mohammad M. Salah Aldeen and Nasser Abdullah Al-Midree.
Reef Saleh Al-Ribdi, Abdul Rahman Buhasan, Abdul Rahman H. Al-Duligan, Nawaf R. Al-Muzail and Yousif K. Jaafar represented the fourth level winners. Those who were declared winners of the fifth level comprised Turki Adel Al-Nasser, Zaal S. Al-Shammary, Sabry Abdul Hamed Mohammad, Naif Humod Al-Makhlefi and Nojood Abdul Rahman Omar. The sixth level winners were Abdullah A. Jumoah, Faisal S. Al-Mutairi, Kamal W. Tarabya, Mustfaa Al-Asmaaq and Hani Humood Al-Mutairi.
Prizes included laptop computers and certificates. The audience was also entertained with a dance performed by a group of young children. The dance was performed to a song composed by celebrated poet Mohammad Al-Dekini. All those who attended the event were given a special CD of the music, which is likely to become the anthem for future drawing competitions.
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