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RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture announced on Tuesday the launch of the Arabian Leopard Story Contest, a digital contest aimed at children and teenagers, state-run SPA news agency reported.

It coincides with International Arabian Leopard Day and ends on February 10, and participants must complete a short story with drawings according to a template pre-prepared by the ministry that talks about the Arabian leopard, the importance of conserving it, and improving the state of its habitat in the Kingdom.

Dec. 26 to Jan. Receipt of entries till 16 and launch of digital platform will begin on Jan. The competition includes four main stages, with sorting and filtering from 15 to 18, and entries to be determined from 21 to 25 January. , and finally announcing and honoring the winners at a special event held on Arabian Leopard Day.

The target group in the tournament is divided into two categories, the first for 9 to 12-year-old Cubs and the second for 13- to 15-year-old Tigers.

The competition offers several prizes in its two categories. The first place winner in the junior category will receive SR4,500 ($1,200), second SR3,000 and third SR1,500. Whereas, the first place winner in the leopard category will be awarded SR6,000, second SR4,000 and third SR2,000.

The contest specified a set of terms and conditions that the participant had to adhere to, the most important of which was that they must be between the ages of 9 and 15, be a citizen or a resident of the Kingdom.

Participant must submit entry and all required documents through Ministry of Culture website, upload files in required formats and maintain absolute confidentiality. Participating in the same work or copying, repeating or quoting from one participant to another is not permitted.

If this happens, the participation will be canceled and the competition management reserves the right not to award the prize to the main winner of the competition and select an alternate winner if it is clear that the competitor is not eligible according to the terms and conditions.

The Ministry has laid down general technical conditions to be followed by the participant before participating in the competition.

Individuals can submit works in several genres, such as thriller, action, horror, drama, science fiction, historical or sports.

The Saudi Council of Ministers issued a decision on January 18, 2022, designating February 10 of each year as Arabian Leopard Day, and as a culmination of national efforts, the UN General Assembly decided last June to declare the day international. Arabian Leopard Day.

This initiative is fully in line with the commitment of the Kingdom and the Royal Commission for AlUla Governorate to protect the Arabian Leopard due to its national and regional importance. It also aims to protect the environment, spread awareness across the region, draw the world’s attention to the dangers this rare species is exposed to and shed light on long-term plans to save them.

To the inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula, the Arabian leopard symbolizes beauty, peace, physical strength and courage. It has held a special place in their imaginations for thousands of years, and stories and novels have been passed down with images etched into ancient rock art in the kingdom.

Through this competition, the Ministry of Culture aims to implement international days, raise awareness about the Arabian Leopard among children and adolescents, and highlight and celebrate promising talents in writing and painting.

It seeks to consolidate the importance of the natural reserves where the Arabian leopard lives, improve the status of the Kingdom as its habitat, and encourage the international community to protect the species from extinction through quality and motivational efforts.