19th Sheikh Zayed Book Awards Open Submissions Until September 1st

The 19th edition of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award is now open for submissions until September 1st. This award, presented annually, recognizes outstanding writers, intellectuals, publishers, and young talents who have made significant contributions to Arab intellectual, cultural, literary, and social life. 

Administered by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre under the Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi, the award offers a total annual prize value of AED 7,750,000. Each winner receives a gold medal bearing the Sheikh Zayed Book Award logo, a certificate of merit, and a substantial cash prize. The ‘Cultural Personality of the Year’ honoree receives AED 1 million, while winners in the other nine categories each receive AED 750,000. 

The award’s rigorous selection process is supervised by a Board of Trustees and a Scientific Committee. A distinguished group of regional and international literary figures serves as judges for the ten award categories. To maintain the integrity of the process, the judges remain anonymous. Each committee reviews the submitted works in their category and submits their selections to the Scientific Committee. These selections are then approved by the Scientific Committee and officially endorsed by the Board of Trustees, presided over by HE Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan. 

The winners are announced ahead of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair and are honored in a prestigious annual ceremony. The ten award categories include Arab Culture in Other Languages, Children's Literature, Contribution to the Development of Nations, Cultural Personality of the Year, Editing of Arabic Manuscripts, Literary and Art Criticism, Literature, Publishing and Technology, Translation, and Young Author.