Dubai: Six winners of the Dubai-based Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Awards were honoured on Wednesday night for their outstanding literary works that contributed to Arab culture.
The winners of the 15th edition of the award were selected out of 1,662 contestants who had applied for the 2016-2017 edition of the award.
Organised by the Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Foundation, which is named after acclaimed Emirati poet Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais, the award aims to honour, encourage and support Arab scholars, litterateurs and intellectuals.
During a ceremony held at the foundation at Rigga Street, Dr Anwar Mohammad Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and chairman of the foundation’s Board of Trustees, distributed the prizes to the winners.
With only five permanent award categories, the latest round saw two winners granted the same award. The total value of the award is $600,000 (Dh2.2 million).
The poetry prize went to Lebanese poet Shawqi Bazi, while the short story, novel and drama prize was jointly given to Lebanese novelist Huda Barakat and Iraqi writer Abdul Khaliq Al Rikabi. The literary and critique prize was given to Tunisian critic Dr Hammadi Sammoud, and the humanitarian and futuristic studies category prize went to Lebanese economist Georges Corm.
Meanwhile, out of 237 nominations, United Arab Emirates University bagged the Cultural and Scientific Achievement Award for its achievements in scientific research and effort in disseminating knowledge.
“The Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Foundation has continued its mission, generation after generation, in embracing Arab talent in the various literary fields,” said Dr Gargash, as he addressed the audience. “What the foundation has achieved through its journey is the trust of many talented Arabs mainly as a result of the awards’ objectivity and neutrality,” he said.
He added that even after the death of the foundation’s founder, the board of trustees carried on the mission in developing the foundation, making it one of the most important and recognised Arab cultural foundations that depends on its own financial resources.
“Today, the foundation is more open to cultural spheres across the Arab world. Despite the changes witnessed in the region, it has not been affected by any of the pressures because it has continued to follow its strategy, which is to focus on talent only,” he said.
Novelist Barakat said she was both surprised and overjoyed when she was named a winner.
“Part of my surprise and joy goes back to the courage of the foundation in not choosing to exclude the works of a writer who chose to break some of the taboos in society,” she said.
Four winners received $120,000 (Dh440,400) each. While in the category that was won by more than one winner, the amount of the prize was split among them.
The award ceremony also witnessed the unveiling of portraits of the winners painted by Arab and foreign artists. The paintings will be added to the permanent exhibition of all award winners so far.
The winners
Poetry Award: Shawqi Bazi
Short story, Novel and Drama Award: Huda Barakat and Abdul Khaliq Al Rikabi
Literary Studies and Criticism Award: Dr Hammadi Sammoud
Humanities and Future Studies Award: Georges Corm
Cultural and Scientific Achievement Award: United Arab Emirates University
