Symbol of Modernity Ali Sarhan Al-Qurashi Passes Away

Dr. Ali Sarhan Al-Qurashi
Dr. Ali Sarhan Al-Qurashi
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Symbol of Modernity Ali Sarhan Al-Qurashi Passes Away

Dr. Ali Sarhan Al-Qurashi
Dr. Ali Sarhan Al-Qurashi

The Saudi cultural, literary and academic scene lost Dr. Ali Sarhan Al-Qurashi, one of the most prominent figures of the literary and critical movement in the Kingdom, and a symbol of literary modernization, who was known for his critical studies and academic work at the local and Arab levels.

Dr. Al-Qurashi was a modernist intellectual, who faced the pressures of the extremist movements that were influential in universities in the mid-1980s. He was seen as a defender of modernity and an icon of its literary symbols.

Alike his generation of Saudi intellectuals, who were exposed to the pressures of a religious movement that fought modernity, Al-Qurashi confronted challenges that had prevented him from obtaining a doctorate from Umm Al-Qura University, until 1990, when he successfully presented his dissertation, entitled, “The Poetic Image in the Poetry of Bishr bin Abi Khazim Al-Asadi.”

Al-Qurashi spoke about this period, which also saw the deprivation of another academic, Saeed Al-Sarihi, from obtaining an academic degree. He said that he was forced to “disavow modernity” in a letter he wrote to the university administration, as the only way to convince the professors to move forward with discussing his thesis.

Al-Qurashi enriched the literary and cultural arena with many critical studies, in addition to narrative and poetic works. He worked as professor of literature and criticism at Taif University, and established many literary forums.

His most prominent works include: “Exaggeration in Arabic Rhetoric,” “You and Language,” “Energies of Creativity,” “The Human Vision in the Movement of Language,” published in the Riyadh Book Series in 1997, and “The Poetic Personality of Taif.”

Other important contributions include: “The Journey of the Self in the Space of the Ancient Poetic Text,” “The Woman’s Text,” and “The Story of Language and the Text of Writing,” published by the Riyadh Book Series in 2003.



200 Teams from 17 Nations Seek Innovative Solutions for Arabic Language in Saudi Arabia

The ALLaM Challenge aims to develop AI models capable of writing and understanding Arabic poetry, accurately analyzing grammar, and teaching Arabic to children in an engaging manner. SPA
The ALLaM Challenge aims to develop AI models capable of writing and understanding Arabic poetry, accurately analyzing grammar, and teaching Arabic to children in an engaging manner. SPA
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200 Teams from 17 Nations Seek Innovative Solutions for Arabic Language in Saudi Arabia

The ALLaM Challenge aims to develop AI models capable of writing and understanding Arabic poetry, accurately analyzing grammar, and teaching Arabic to children in an engaging manner. SPA
The ALLaM Challenge aims to develop AI models capable of writing and understanding Arabic poetry, accurately analyzing grammar, and teaching Arabic to children in an engaging manner. SPA

The competition in the ALLaM Challenge has intensified for the second consecutive day, with 200 teams from 17 countries, including Saudi Arabia, showcasing their capabilities in developing innovative solutions, the Saudi Press Agency reported Friday.

The focus is on enhancing large language models (LLMs) and transforming them into real-world AI projects that serve the Arabic language across various sectors.

Overseeing this significant competition, organized by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) in collaboration with the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming, and Drones, are more than 50 mentors and 40 judges—experts in AI and the Arabic language. They are providing support to participating teams and evaluating projects based on criteria that ensure the sustainability of the proposed solutions.

The ALLaM Challenge aims to develop AI models capable of writing and understanding Arabic poetry, accurately analyzing grammar, and teaching Arabic to children in an engaging manner. This aligns with the Kingdom’s ongoing efforts to support the Arabic language, especially in technological fields, by providing high-quality Arabic data and creating AI models that can effectively handle the language.

This international competition is supported by a technical partnership with IBM and the National Technology Development Program (NTDP), with a total prize pool of SAR 1 million.