Poetry Contest UAE 2026, Dubai & Abu Dhabi Poets
Quick answer: Monthly poetry contest for poets in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and across the UAE. Write in any language, win cash prizes, earn certificates and detailed scores.
Poetry is public life in the Emirates. Nabati verse, the vernacular poetry of the peninsula, fills prime time television in Abu Dhabi through Million's Poet and Prince of Poets, Al Ta'ghrooda chanting sits on the UNESCO intangible heritage list, and Ousha bint Khalifa Al Suwaidi is still quoted as the country's great poetess. Running beside all of that is a second literature entirely, written in Malayalam, Urdu, Tagalog, Hindi and English by the residents who built the cities and now run them.
Writory sits across both. The contest opens on the 1st of each month and closes on the 25th, with results on the 30th. Any language is accepted with no translation required, winners receive cash prizes, and every entrant leaves with a participation certificate and a five criteria score for creativity, emotion, structure, language and theme. Over 50 countries are represented among the poets who have entered, which for a nation built on arrivals is a familiar sort of room.
Writory is a monthly poetry contest anyone living in the UAE can enter in Arabic, Malayalam, Urdu, Tagalog, English or any other language, with cash prizes and a scored certificate for every entrant.
Why enter
- Nationality and visa status are irrelevant to entry. Emirati citizens and residents on any permit compete under identical rules.
- Arabic is a first class option rather than a translated afterthought, and so is every other language spoken across the seven emirates.
- The submission is entirely online, which matters when a poet in Fujairah or Ras Al Khaimah is a long drive from the Dubai and Abu Dhabi literary calendar.
- A monthly cycle suits a working expatriate schedule, because skipping a busy month costs you weeks rather than a whole year.
- The certificate names you as an entrant and arrives whether or not you place, which is useful for a school portfolio or a professional CV.
What winners and entrants receive
- Cash prizes are awarded to the winning poems in every monthly cycle, and the ten strongest entries are listed on the Writory leaderboard for anyone to read.
- A participation certificate reaches every entrant in the Emirates, first timers and twelve month regulars alike.
- Take a win and the following month's entry is waived, and entering three months back to back earns the same.
- Your marks for creativity, emotion, structure, language and theme are kept in your profile, which is feedback that an evening open mic never produces.
Nabati verse, qasida, ghazal, mushaira style Urdu poetry, Malayalam and Tagalog verse, haiku, spoken word and free verse are all accepted, in Arabic, English or whichever language you think in.
Key facts
- Entries open the 1st, close the 25th at 11:59 PM IST, results on the 30th.
- One poem $5, two poems $8, five poems $15 (Rs 150 / Rs 220 / Rs 450 in India).
- Every poem scored by human judges on five criteria: creativity, emotion, structure, language and theme.
- A participation certificate for every entrant, not only winners, and the score is visible in your profile.
- Cash prizes for winners, free entry the following month for winners, open worldwide from age 13, any language.
Questions
Can I take part as a UAE resident rather than an Emirati citizen?
Yes. The contest asks for a poem and an age of 13 or over, and nothing about nationality or visa category. Poets across all seven emirates enter on the same footing.
How can an Arabic poem and an English poem be measured against each other?
They are not measured against each other by language. Each is scored on the same five criteria, creativity, emotion, structure, language and theme, and the language mark reflects control of whatever tongue you chose. Your own figures appear in your profile once results are out.
What is the entry fee for poets in the UAE?
Charges are in US dollars, $5 for one poem, $8 for two and $15 for five. There is no dirham price list, so your card is billed the converted amount. Winners do not pay the next month, and three consecutive months of entering also earns a free entry.
When does each cycle open and close?
The window runs from the 1st to the 25th of every calendar month, and the outcome is announced on the 30th. If you miss it, the next cycle begins a few days later.
Related contests
By the Writory editorial team. Updated July 2026.
Enter the September contest · All poetry competitions 2026: deadlines & prizes · International poetry contest · Past winners · Read the winning poems