Al Owais Award Explained

The Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Awards (or Al Owais Awards; Arabic: جائزة سلطان بن علي العويس) are a biannual prize for literary and cultural achievement in the Arab world.[1] It is administered by the Sultan Bin Al Owais Cultural Foundation of the United Arab Emirates.[1] The award was established by the late Emirati businessman and philanthropist Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais. The awards were first given out in 1988-89.

The Al Owais Cultural Awards are given in four categories: Poetry, Novels, Criticism/Literature Studies, and Human/Future Studies. Winners in each category receive a prize of for a total of making it one of the richest literary prizes in the world. A fifth award called the Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Award for Scientific and Cultural Achievement has different rules and criteria, with a prize amount of .[2]

In 2004, the poetry prize was given to Iraqi poet Saadi Youssef but was controversially withdrawn after he criticized Emirati ruler Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.[3]

Winners

List of winners:[4]

1988–1989

1990–1991

1992–1993

1994–1995

1996–1997

1998–1999

2000–2001

2002–2003

2004–2005

2008–2009

2010–2011

2012–2013

2014–2015

2016–2017

2018–2019

2020–2021

2022–2023

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://www.alowais.com/en/standing-regulations-award/ Standing Regulations
  2. http://www.alowaisnet.org/en/portal/paenel.aspx Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Award for Scientific and Cultural Achievement
  3. Web site: 15 December 2010 . FEATURE-Prestigious 'Arabic Booker' plagued by criticisms . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20151222124730/http://af.reuters.com/article/idAFLDE6BB06220101215?sp=true . 22 December 2015 . 5 August 2024 . Reuters.
  4. Web site: Winners . مؤسسة سلطان بن علي العويس الثقافية . Sultan Bin Al Owais Cultural Foundation . 28 November 2022.
  5. News: King Faisal Foundation Receives Sultan Al Owais Award . Eye of Riyadh . 6 May 2016.
  6. News: BACA chief presented with Al-Owais award . Bahrain News Agency . 19 December 2019.
  7. News: SG of Assilah Forum Foundation Receives in Dubai Al-Owais Award for Cultural and Scientific Achievement MapNews . Maghreb Arabe Press . 3 March 2022.