Under the patronage of His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi…
The Ministry stressed the importance of full compliance with all technical and artistic requirements for each competition field and adherence to the announced submission deadlines, as no works will be accepted after the specified dates.
Submitted works must not have previously participated in any edition of the Ibdaa Festival or any other competition. Intellectual property rights for winning works remain with their creators, while the Ministry reserves the right to use them when deemed appropriate.
All participants must appear before the judging committee during the final rounds at the specified times and locations, as attendance is a mandatory condition for eligibility to compete and receive prizes.
Participants are required to present their original national ID card and university/institute/academy ID for verification by Ministry officials.
Prize sharing is not permitted under any circumstances. Each student may only participate in one competition field; violations will result in disqualification. External contributors not affiliated with the institution are not entitled to accommodation or subsistence during the final judging phase, nor to any share of prize money.
Student affairs and youth activity supervisors at universities, institutes, and academies must ensure that all participating students review and understand the participation terms for each category. The judging committee reserves the right to verify the authenticity of submitted works and determine whether they are original student creations. Postgraduate and open education students are strictly prohibited from participating.
Any violation of the general conditions will result in disqualification, and the decisions of the judging committee are final and binding.
Submissions must be delivered on a flash memory drive to the Ministry headquarters in the New Administrative Capital through the student affairs office of each university, institute, or academy according to the submission dates for each category. All works are subject to a preliminary review committee before qualifying for the final rounds.
The competition proceeds in several stages. It begins with preliminary rounds at the university and institute level during October and November 2025, where student affairs departments announce the festival and participation conditions. Each contestant fills out a participation form approved by their university or institute, attaching a personal photo, a copy of their national ID, and their student ID.
Each university, institute, or academy forms specialized committees in every field to conduct internal selections, promoting the winners to the institutional level. These winners then represent their institutions in the literary, artistic, and scientific competitions according to the number of participants allowed for each field.
After the preliminary stage, the shortlisted works are sent by each institution to the Ministry headquarters in the New Administrative Capital during December 2025. The final judging rounds will take place during January and February 2026, conducted by the Ministry’s Central Administration for Youth Development through the General Department for Cultural and Artistic Programs at the Ministry Theatre in Cairo and the Youth City Theatre in Alexandria. No changes to participants or supervisors are allowed less than 14 days before the final rounds. The festival concludes with a closing ceremony and awards announcement.
The Ibdaa Festival covers multiple categories:
Literary fields: poetry, novel, short story.
Artistic fields: solo and group singing, solo and group musical performance, religious chants and hymns (solo and group), theatrical performances, musical theatre, folk arts, short films, journalism, ideal student competitions (male and female).
Fine arts: colored and uncolored painting, photography, handicrafts, printmaking, and sculpture.
Scientific and social fields: scientific innovations in engineering, energy, electric vehicles, robotics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, startups, and entrepreneurship.
The Ibdaa Festival aims to nurture innovation and creativity among youth, develop their artistic, cultural, and scientific skills, and encourage healthy competition that enhances the intellectual and creative output of young people, in line with Egypt’s Vision 2030 to build an aware and capable generation for the future.
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