Abu Dhabi, UAE – The Sheikh Zayed Book Award (SZBA), organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), part of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, announced that its 18th edition (2023 - 2024) has received the largest number of nominations in the Award’s history. A total of 4,240 nominations were received from 74 countries – including 19 Arab nations and 55 other countries around the world.

Chaired by His Excellency Dr. Ali bin Tamim, SZBA Secretary-General and Chairman of the ALC, the SZBA Reading Panel Committee that includes His Excellency Saeed Hamdan Al Tunaiji, Executive Director of the ALC, and Prof. Dr. Bilal Orfali, member of the ALC Scientific Advisory Committee, along with members of the Scientific Committee of the SZBA, Prof. Dr. Khalil Al Sheikh and Dr. Badria Bishr, evaluated the submissions for conforming to requirements. The meetings were held in the presence of Abdulrahman Mohamed Al-Naqbi, Director of the ALC’s Literary Awards Department. 

HE Dr. Ali bin Tamim said: “For nearly two decades, the Sheikh Zayed Book Award has firmly established itself as an authority in the regional and global cultural arena. The Award commands tremendous respect through its continued pursuit of fulfilling the vision of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Founding Father of the UAE, who always sought to strengthen the foundations of creativity and knowledge and amplify the work of talented individuals. The remarkable increase in the number of submissions we received this year reflects the growing prominence of the Award worldwide. We look forward to continuing along this path to enrich human knowledge, spotlighting works that elevate humanity and our collective intellectual and cultural heritage.”

This year, Egypt topped the list of participating countries in terms of nominations received, followed by Iraq, Morocco, Algeria, Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Palestine, and the UAE. Outside the Arab region, India led the list, followed by the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, and Germany. The Award also saw a number of countries participate for the first time, namely Slovenia, Serbia, Romania, Nepal, Mauritius, Kyrgyzstan, Hungary, Guinea, and Djibouti.

Of the Award’s 10 categories, the Young Author category received the highest number of submissions with a total of 1,078 nominations, accounting for 25% of the total. The Literature category ranked second with 1,032 submissions, making up 24% of the nominations, while the Children’s Literature category received 437 submissions, representing 10% of the total. The other categories are Literary and Art Criticism, Contribution to the Development of Nations, Translation, Editing of Arabic Manuscripts, Arab Culture in Other Languages, Cultural Personality of the Year, and Publishing and Technology.

The Young Author and Literature categories recorded significant increases in submissions for the current edition, with a total of 1,078 nominations for the former, up from 954 in the previous edition, and 1,032 for the latter, compared to 688 last year. Submissions from female nominees also saw a notable uptick, with the Award receiving 1,182 nominations, compared to 1,042 in the previous edition and 915 the year before that. Moreover, the number of nominated institutions also increased significantly to 201 this year, up from 24 in the previous edition.

The Award had introduced a new category last year – Editing of Arabic Manuscripts. The category is  dedicated to the editing of Arabic heritage manuscripts following scientific methods within any field of knowledge in Arabic traditions, including specialised and general lexicons.

Launched in 2006, the Sheikh Zayed Book Award aims to promote Arab literature and culture and honours outstanding achievements of creative thinkers in the fields of literature, arts, and humanities in Arabic and other languages, creating new opportunities for Arabic-speaking writers. It also honours authors who write about Arab culture and civilisation in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Russian.

About Sheikh Zayed Book Award

The Sheikh Zayed Book Award commemorates the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Founding President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, and his pioneering role in promoting national unity and development. The Award, and its associated accolades, are presented annually to outstanding writers, intellectuals, and publishers, as well as young talent whose writing and translation in humanities objectively enriches Arab intellectual, cultural, literary, and social life. The Sheikh Zayed Book Award at the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre is an independent cultural initiative administered by Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi.

About Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre

The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, established following a directive from the President of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Abu Dhabi, as part of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, works to support Arabic language development and modernisation through comprehensive strategies and frameworks, enrich the scientific, educational, cultural and creative contributions of the Arabic language, promote Arabic language proficiency and cultural understanding, and support Arab talents in the fields of writing, translation, publishing, scientific research, arts, content creation and organisation of book fairs. The Centre works to realise its foundational vision through dedicated programmes, human expertise, and meaningful partnerships with the world’s most prestigious technical, cultural, and academic institutions.

About the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) drives the sustainable growth of Abu Dhabi's culture, tourism and creative sectors, fuels economic progress and helps achieve Abu Dhabi's wider global ambitions. By working in partnership with the organisations that define the emirate's position as a leading international destination, DCT Abu Dhabi strives to unite the ecosystem around a shared vision of the emirate's potential, coordinate effort and investment, deliver innovative solutions, and use the best tools, policies, and systems to support the culture and tourism industries.

DCT Abu Dhabi's vision is defined by the emirate's people, heritage, and landscape. We work to enhance Abu Dhabi's status as a place of authenticity, innovation, and unparalleled experiences, represented by its living traditions of hospitality, pioneering initiatives, and creative thought.