Three prizes in three categories and three ‘People’s Choice’ awards by voting on the social media platforms

Doha, Qatar, January 16: Mall of Qatar has concluded the National Day School Art Competition held during the National day and embraced students from 16 different schools in Qatar. The winners in the competition were announced yesterday, with winning students received valuable prizes from Mall of Qatar management, including Mall of Qatar gift cards worth QAR 5000, QAR 2500, and QAR 1000 for the first, second, and third place winners, respectively.

For the third consecutive year, The National Day School Art Competition is an art contest dedicated to school students to encourage them to express their talents and skills. It is part of the Mall of Qatar's social responsibility program that promotes emerging talents and encourages artistic and cultural initiatives. Besides, the annual competition is recognized as one of the most awaited events during National Day celebrations and receives massive participation every year. Furthermore, the winning artworks were displayed in one of the Mall's hallways as a gesture to acknowledge the young talents' skills.

Emile Sarkis, General Manager, Mall of Qatar, said: "This art competition is one of the main activations held annually by Mall of Qatar to celebrate National day with students. We aim to encourage our young generations to express their thoughts and dreams through art. This year's theme reflects our passion for the upcoming FIFA 2022 world cup in Qatar. Our thanks and gratitude to the participating schools and students who submitted creative artworks, and our deep congratulations to all winners".

Held under the theme "How does Qatar 2022 look like to you?", students from sixteen different schools submitted 40 drawings that reflect the theme of the contest and demonstrate their artistic skills. The students were divided into three age groups: group 1 included students from 8 – 10 years, group 2 from 11 to 13 years, and group 3 from 14 to 16 years.

The jury panel consisted of Qatari artists Hanadi Al Darwish and Abdulaziz Sadiq, who evaluated the drawings and decided the winners after a fierce competition. In the first category for students from 8 to 10 years, Artist: Shaden AlKhateeb from Al Manar International School Al Saad Branch won the first place, Mohamed Qarni from Mesaieed Primary International School won the second place. Elias Al Shyab from Phoenix Private School won third place.

In the category from 11 to 13 years, Naila Zahra Azka Mirag  from Mesaieed International School got the first place, Maya Ahmed from Al Manar International School – Al Thameed Branch won the second place, Hafsa Aamer, Anoosh Khan, & Fabiha Saeed from Mesaieed Primary International School won the third place. In the third category for students for 14 to 16 years, Karthika Purayil from MES. Indian School won the first place, Sandi Aljaber from GEMS American Academy won the second place, and Raghad Adbellatif Abdalla
From Doha Academy – Al Waab Campus got the third place.

In addition, Mall of Qatar gave students and social media followers the chance to vote for the best drawing via an interactive voting portal shared among all participant schools, while added new “People’s Choice” award for followers to vote also through Mall of Qatar social media platforms. The contest attracted a considerable number, with more than 30,000 voters selected their favorite drawings for the top places. In the group of 8 – 10 years, the award went to the student Mohamed Qarni from Mesaieed Primary International School, while Maya Ahmed from Al Manar International School – Al Thameed Branch got the award in the second category (11 – 13 years), and Kinda Al-Bahri from Al Manar International School – Al Saad Branch received the highest number of voters in the third category (14 – 16 years).

The participating schools are Al Manar International School, Al Thameed Campus, Al Manar International School, Al-Saad Campus, American School of Doha, ASC Doha International School, Doha Academy Al Waab Campus, Doha Academy, Doha British Schoool, Doha College, GEMS American Academy, MES Indian School, Mesaieed International School, Mesaieed Primary International School, Phoenix Private School, Qatar International School, Royal Grammar School Guildford in Qatar (RGSGQ), Sherborne School in Qatar.