Sheikh Zayed Book Award


The Sheikh Zayed Book Award is a literary award presented yearly to writers, intellectuals, publishers whose writings and scholarly publications contributed to Arab cultural, literary and social life. The award has been described as “the Arab World’s equivalent to the Nobel Prize”. The first award was in 2007. The total value of the prizes is making it one of the richest literary awards in the world.
The award is named in memory of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the United Arab Emirates.

History

Beginning with 2013 awards, a new category was added called "Arabic Culture in Other Languages", "to honor best written works in Chinese, German and English languages on the subject of the Arabic civilization and culture including novels, short stories, poems, biographies, history and arts." In addition a number of other categories were merged, created or redefined.
In 2018, the Sheikh Zayed Book Award launched a translation grant, to encourage the translation of Arabic literature into other languages. The grant is open year-round to publishers and translators around the world to publish shortlisted or award-winning literary works from the Award’s Literature and Young Author prize categories.
In 2021, German philosopher Jürgen Habermas declined his Zayed Book Award, citing the UAE's political system. A media debate ensued with some German commentators arguing that he should not have renounced the award.

Award categories

the Award presents a range of annual prizes in different categories such as ‘Literature’, ‘Translation’, ‘Arabic Culture in Other Languages’, and ‘Cultural Personality of the Year’.
The "Cultural Person of the Year" is the category which honours a prominent Arab or international figure who has contributed to the advancement of Arabic culture. It bestows an award of one million Dirhams while the other categories receive around $200,000 each.
  • Sheikh Zayed Award for Arts
  • Sheikh Zayed Award for Best Technology in the Cultural Field
  • Sheikh Zayed Award for Children's Literature
  • Sheikh Zayed Award for Cultural Personality of the Year
  • Sheikh Zayed Award for Development and State Building
  • Sheikh Zayed Award for Literature
  • Sheikh Zayed Award for Manuscript Editing
  • Sheikh Zayed Award for Publishing and Distribution
  • Sheikh Zayed Award for Translation
  • Sheikh Zayed Award for Young Author

    Winners

2007
  • Cultural Personality of the Year: Denys Johnson-Davies
  • Literature: Wacini Laredj, The Prince and the Passage of the Iron Doors
  • Fine arts: Tharwat Ukhasha, The Indian Art
  • Translation: Georges Zinaty, Althat a'inha Ka'khr
  • Contribution to the Development of Nations: Bashir Mohamed Al-Khadra, The Prophetic – Caliphate Pattern in the Arab Political Leadership and Democracy
  • Young author: Mahmoud Zein Al-Abedeen, Architecture of the Ottoman Mosques
  • Children's literature: Mohammed Ali Ahmad, A Journey on Paper
2008
2009
  • Cultural Personality of the Year: Pedro Martinez Montavez
  • Literature: Jamal Al Ghitani, Ren
  • Fine arts: Maher Rady, Thought of Light
  • Translation: Sa'ad Abdulaziz Maslouh, Translation Theory: Contemporary Trends
  • Contribution to the Development of Nations: Baqer Salman Al Najjar, The Strenuous Democracy in the Arabian Gulf
  • Young author: Youcef Oghlici, The Intricacy of Terminology in the New Arab Discourse
  • Publishing and Distribution: Dar Al Masriah Al Lubnaniah
2010
  • Cultural Personality of the Year: Khalid bin Mohammed Al Qasimi
  • Best Contribution to the Development of the Country: Ammar AM Hasan, The Political Establishment of Sufism in Egypt
  • Young author: Mohammad Al Mallakh, Time in Arabic Language: Its Linguistic Structure and Significance
  • Translation: Albert Habib Mutlaq, The Animal Encyclopedia
  • Fine arts: Iyad Al Husseini, The Art of Design
  • Children's literature: Qais Sedki, Gold Ring
  • Publishing and Distribution: Nahdet Misr Publishing and Printing
  • Literature: Hafnaoui Baali, Comparative Cultural Criticism- an Introduction
2011
  • Cultural Personality of the Year: Xhong Jikun
  • Contribution to the Development of Nations: Abdul Raouf Sinno, Harb Lubnan 1975–1990
  • Literature: Mohammad Miftah, Mafaheem Muwasa'a Li Nazaryah Shi'ryah
  • Translation: Mohammad Ziyad Kibbeh, Al Tharwah wa lqtisad Al Ma'rifah
  • Children's literature: Affaf Tobbala, Al Bayt Wal Nakhlah
2012
  • Cultural Personality of the Year: UNESCO
  • Fine Arts: Shaker Abdel-Hamid, Art and Eccentrics
  • Translation:
  • Young author: Layla Al Obaidi, Al Fakh in Islam
  • Publishing and Distribution: Brill Publishers
  • Best Technology in the Field of Culture: Paju Bookcity
  • Children's Literature: Abdo Wazen, The Boy Who Saw the Color of Air
2013
  • Cultural Personality of the Year: Ahmed el-Tayeb
  • Arab Culture in Non-Arabic Languages: Marina Warner, Stranger Magic: Charmed States and the Arabian Nights
  • Translation: Fathi Meskini, Being and Time
  • Literary and Art Criticism: Abdullah Ibrahim, Al Takhayol Al Tarikhi
  • Publishing and Cultural Technologies: National Council for Culture, Arts and Literature, Kuwait
  • Best Contribution to the Development of the Country: Elizabeth Kassab, Contemporary Arab Thought
  • Young Author: Adil Hadjami, Falsafat Jeel Deleuze
2014
  • Cultural Personality of the Year: Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, Ruler of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
  • Contribution to the Development of Nations: Saeed Abdullah Al Soyan for his study "The Epic of Human Evolution"
  • Children's Literature: Jawdat Fakhr Eldine for his book "Thirty Poems for Children"
  • Young Author: Rami Abu Shihab for his book "Permanence and Deception: Post-Colonial Discourse in the Contemporary Arab Criticism"
  • Translation: Mohammed Al Tahir Al Mansouri for translating the book "Housing the Stranger in the Mediterranean World"
  • Literature: Abdel Rasheed Mahmoudi for his novel "After Coffee"
  • Literary and Art Criticism:
  • Arabic Culture in Other Languages: Mario Liverani for his book "Imagining Babylon"
  • Publishing and Technology: Arab Foundation "House of Wisdom", from Tunisia
2015
  • Cultural Personality of the Year: Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
  • Contribution to the Development of Nations:
  • Children's Literature:
  • Young Author:
  • Translation: Hanawa Haruo for translating Naguib Mahfouz's Cairo Trilogy into Arabic
  • Literature: Osama Alaysa for his novel Majaneen bait lahem
  • Literary and Art Criticism:
  • Arabic Culture in Other Languages: Sugita Hideaki for Arabian-Naito to Nihon-Jin
  • Publishing and Technology: Arab Scientific Publishers Inc.
2016
  • Cultural Personality of the Year: Amin Maalouf
  • Children's Literature:
  • Young Author:
  • Contribution to the Development of Nations: Jamal Sanad Al-Suwaidi for Al-Sarab
  • Translation: Keyan Yahya for translation of The Meaning of Meaning by Ogden and Richards
  • Literature: Ibrahim Abdelmeguid for Ma Wara’a al-Kitaba
  • Literary and Art Criticism: Said Yaktine for Al-Fikr al-Adabi al-‘Arabi
  • Arab Culture in Other Languages: Roshdi Rashed for Angles et Grandeur
  • Publishing and Technology: Dar Al-Saqi publishers of London
2017
  • Cultural Personality of the Year: Abdallah Laroui
  • Children's Literature: Lateefa Buti for Bila qubba’a
  • Contribution to the Development of Nations: Mohammad Chahrour for Al Islam wal Insan
  • Translation: Ziad Bou Akl for translation from Arabic to French of Ibn Rushd, Al-Darûrî fî usûl al-fiqh
  • Literature: Abbas Beydoun for Khareef al Bara’a
  • Literary and Art Criticism: Said Al Ghanimi for Fā‘iliyyat al-Khayāl al-Adabī
  • Arab Culture in Other Languages: David Wirmer for Vom Denken der Natur zur Natur des Denkens
  • Publishing and Technology: Kalimat Group, Sharjah, UAE
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
  • Arabic Culture in Other Languages: Muhsin Al-Musawi
  • Children's Literature: Maria Dadouch
  • Literary and Art Criticism: Mohamed Aldahi
  • Literature: Maysoon Saqer
  • Publishing and Technology: Bibliotheca Alexandrina
  • Translation: Ahmed Aladawi
  • Young Author: Mohamed Al-Maztouri
2023
  • Arabic Culture in Other Languages: Mathieu Tillier
  • Literary and Art Criticism: Jalila bint Mohammed bin al-Mahjoub Tritar
  • Literature: Ali Jaafar Al Allaq
  • Publishing and Technology: Dar ElAin Publishing
  • Translation: Ali Al Saadi
  • Young Author: Said Khatibi
2024
  • Arabic Culture in Other Languages: Frank Griffel
  • Contribution to the Development of Nations: Khalifa Alromaithi
  • Editing of Arabic Manuscripts: Mustafa Said
  • Literature: Reem Bassiouney
  • Publishing and Technology: Bayt Elhekma for Creative Industries
  • Translation: Ahmed Somai
  • Young Author: Houssem Eddine Chachia
2025
  • Cultural Personality of the Year: Haruki Murakami
  • Literature: Hoda Barakat, Hind, or the Most Beautiful Woman in the World
  • Children's Literature: Latifa Labsir, The Phantom of Sabiba
  • Arab Culture in Other Languages: Andrew Peacock, Arab Literature in Southeast Asia in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries
  • Translation: Marco di Branco, Orosius
  • Editing of Arabic Manuscripts: Rasheed Alkhayoun, News of Women
  • Contribution to the Development of Nations: Mohamed Bashari, The Right to Strive: Perspectives on Muslim Women's Rights
  • Literary and Art Criticism: Said Laouadi, ''Food and Language: Cultural Excavations in Arabic Heritage''