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In 2004, the poetry prize was given to Iraqi poet Saadi Youssef but was controversially withdrawn after he criticized Emirati ruler Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.^[3]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

• Poetry: Fadwa Touqan
• Stories, Novels & Drama: Saadallah Wannous, Hanna Mina

1990–1991

• Stories, Novels & Drama: Alfred Farag, Abdul Rahman Munif
  • • Criticism & Literature Studies: Ehssan Abbas Human & Future Studies: Zaki Nageeb Mahmood, Fuad Zacharia Cultural & Scientific Achievements: Mohammad Mahdi Al Jawaheri

1992–1993

• Poetry: Abdullah Al-Baradouni
• Stories, Novels & Drama: Sulaiman Fayyad, Sonallah Ibrahim
• Criticism & Literature Studies: Yumna Al-Eid, Farooq Abdul Qader

1994–1995

• Poetry: Abd al-Wahhab Al-Bayati
• Stories, Novels & Drama: Edwar al-Kharrat
• Criticism & Literature Studies: Nasir al-Din al-Asad

1996–1997

• Poetry: Ahmed Abdul Mutti Hijazi, Ibrahim Nasrallah
• Stories, Novels & Drama: Gamal al-Ghitani, Walid Ikhlasi
  • • Criticism & Literature Studies: Gaber Asfour, Shukri Ayyad Human & Future Studies: Mohammed Jaber Al Anssari, Fahmi Jada’an, Mohammed Jaber Al Anssari Cultural & Scientific Achievements: Edward Said

1998–1999

• Poetry: Muhammad Afifi Matar
• Stories, Novels & Drama: Fouad al-Tikerly
  • • Criticism & Literature Studies: Abdullah Al Ghozami Human & Future Studies: Saleh Ahmad Al Ali, Nasseef Nassar Cultural & Scientific Achievements: Yusuf al-Qaradawi

2000–2001

• • Poetry: Qassim Haddad Stories, Novels & Drama: Zakaria Tamer, Mohamed el-Bisatie
    • Criticism & Literature Studies: Mohsin Jassim Al Mosawi Human & Future Studies: Abdul Wahab Al Maseeri Cultural & Scientific Achievements: Al-Arabi magazine

2002–2003

• • • • • Poetry: Hasab Al Sheikh Ja’afar Stories, Novels & Drama: Muhammad Khudayyir Criticism & Literature Studies: Mustafa Abdou Nassif Human & Future Studies: Mahmoud Ameen Al A’lem Cultural & Scientific Achievements: Mahmoud Darwish, Adunis

2004–2005

• Poetry: Muhammad al-Maghut
• Stories, Novels & Drama: Iz Aldin Al Madani
• Criticism & Literature Studies: Mohammed Meftah
• Human & Future Studies: Antoon Zahlan
• Cultural & Scientific Achievements: Tharwat Okasha

2008–2009

• • Poetry: Abdulaziz Al-Maqaleh Stories, Novels & Drama: Tahar Ouettar
• Criticism & Literature Studies: Abdul Salam Misaddi
  • Human & Future Studies: Galal Amin Cultural & Scientific Achievements: Fatima bint Mubarak Al Ketbi

2010–2011

• Poetry: Muhammad Ali Chamseddine
  • • • Stories, Novels & Drama: Radwa Ashour Criticism & Literature Studies: Faisal Darraj Human & Future Studies: Abdul Aziz Al Douri Cultural & Scientific Achievements: Amin Maalouf

2012–2013

• Poetry: Mohammad Ibrahim Abu Senna, Nazih Abu Afash
• Stories, Novels & Drama: Mohammed Azeddine Tazi
• Criticism & Literature Studies: Ahmed Etman
• Human & Future Studies: El Sayed Yassin
• Cultural & Scientific Achievements: Dar Al Khaleej Printing & Publishing

2014–2015

• Poetry: Habib Al Sayegh
• Stories, Novels & Drama: Yusuf al-Qa'id, Ismail Fahd Ismail
• Criticism & Literature Studies: Salah Fadl, Kamal Abu-Deeb
• Human & Future Studies: Roshdi Rashed
• Cultural & Scientific Achievements: King Faisal Foundation^[5]

2016–2017

• Poetry: Chawki Bazih
• Stories, Novels & Drama: Hoda Barakat, Abdel Khaliq al-Rikabi
• Criticism & Literature Studies: Hammadi Hmaida Sammoud
• Human & Future Studies: Georges Corm
• Cultural & Scientific Achievements: United Arab Emirates University

2018–2019

• Poetry: Ali Ja'far al-Allaq
• Stories, Novels & Drama: Alawiya Sobh
• Criticism & Literature Studies: Mohammed Lutfi Al Yusufi
• Human & Future Studies: Haidar Ibrahim Ali
• Cultural & Scientific Achievements: Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa^[6]

2020–2021

• Poetry: Elias Lahoud
• Stories, Novels & Drama: Nabil Suleiman
• Criticism & Literature Studies: Abdul Malik Murtad
• Human & Future Studies: Ahmed Zayed
• Cultural & Scientific Achievements: Assilah Forum Foundation^[7]

2022–2023

• Poetry: Hassan Talab
• Stories, Novels & Drama: Amin Saleh
• Criticism & Literature Studies: Abdullah Ibrahim
• Human & Future Studies: Abdel Salam Ben Abdel Aali

External links

• Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Award, official website

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.