Rabat – An award ceremony was held today, Saturday, at the International Book and Publishing Fair in Rabat, honoring school students who won the sixth edition of the “Colors of Al-Quds” Prize, organized by the Bayt Mal Al-Quds Asharif Agency (BMAQ) this year, in collaboration with the Regional Academy of Education and Training of the Marrakech-Safi Region, under the theme “Al-Quds: A Banner Entrusted to Generations.”
The event was also supported by the Ministry of National Education, Preschool, and Sports.
The number of winning entries in this edition — which was attended by Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, Minister of Youth, Culture, and Communication — totaled seven out of 229 artistic works submitted. The participating students, aged between 11 and 14 years old, came from 185 educational institutions across the Marrakech-Safi region, including 133 public schools and 52 private schools.
Douaa El Assoufi, a student at Omar Al-Khayyam Middle School under the Youssoufia Provincial Directorate, won first prize, while Adam Beqqas, from Zemran Middle School in Marrakech, took home second prize.
Meanwhile, the third prize was shared between Mohamed Karim Boulahcen, from the International School of Marrakech, and Hajar Bouaddas, also from Omar Al-Khayyam Middle School in Youssoufia.The jury also awarded three additional entries with encouragement prizes.
In a speech delivered on the occasion, Mohamed Saad Berrada, Minister of National Education, Preschool, and Sports, emphasized that the “Colors of Al-Quds” Prize is the result of the outstanding and ongoing partnership between the Ministry and BMAQ. He highlighted that the initiative aims to equip students with artistic and aesthetic expression skills, enabling them to convey these through the medium of painting, thereby strengthening their emotional and cultural connection to Al-Quds Asharif.
The Minister’s remarks, delivered on his behalf by Abdelmoumen Taleb, Director General of School Life Organization at the Ministry, praised the significant role played by BMAQ under the wise leadership of HM King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, in advancing the education sector in the Holy City.
For his part, Mohamed Salem Echarkaoui, the Director managing BMAQ’s current affaires, emphasized that “Colors of Al-Quds” has evolved beyond being merely a drawing and coloring competition; it has become a notable platform for promoting art culture and refining aesthetic appreciation among primary and middle school students.
Echarkaoui also highlighted the growing enthusiasm for participating in “Colors of Al-Quds,” noting that over the six editions of the competition, more than 1,529 entries were submitted during the preliminary qualification phase. Of these, 499 artworks were selected for the final competition rounds, with 222 pieces ultimately accepted by the judging panels.
For his part, Jamal Al-Shobaki, Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Morocco, emphasized that the competition acts as a cultural and educational bridge linking children in Morocco and Jerusalem, enabling them to share their visions and dreams and to reaffirm to the world that Jerusalem remains deeply rooted in their hearts.
The Ambassador lauded Morocco’s unwavering support for the Palestinian cause, with Jerusalem remaining a central focus of its priorities. He further praised the visionary leadership of HM King Mohammed VI as well as BMAQ’s practical contributions, describing it as a “model to be followed” in advancing joint Arab efforts.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Belqarshi, Acting Director of the Marrakech-Safi Regional Academy, told the press that this year’s edition was organized within the framework of a protocol agreement of cooperation with the Agency. He noted that students from the Marrakech-Safi region used their paintings to express their feelings and solidarity with the children of the Holy City.
During the ceremony, a new cooperation protocol was signed to jointly organize the next edition of the competition with the Regional Academy of Beni Mellal-Khénifra for the 2025–2026 academic year, with the agreement signed by Mr. Echarkaoui and Mostafa Selifani, Director of the Academy.
