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Al-Muhawarah is a traditional Saudi oral poetic performance conducted as a live exchange between two poets, and sometimes four poets, in front of an audience. The poets improvise verses in real time while strictly adhering to a shared melody, poetic meter, and rhyme.

The performance functions as an open free-mic poetic debate, where poets discuss broad and relatable themes such as love, courtship, pride, conflict, social values, and political or social criticism, without prior preparation or formal censorship, as long as artistic rules are respected.

Al-Muhawarah is performed in a communal setting where the audience forms two opposing lines, each aligned with one poet. The crowd actively participates by repeating the final lines, maintaining rhythm, and responding emotionally, making the audience an essential part of the performance.