ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — The Sheikh Zayed Book Award has opened submissions for its 21st edition, accepting entries through Sept. 1, 2026, as the prize builds on a milestone year that drew more than 4,000 submissions from 74 countries.
Organized by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, part of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, the award distributes a total prize pool of 7.75 million UAE dirhams (about $2.1 million) across 10 categories. Winners in each of nine competitive categories receive 750,000 dirhams (about $204,000), while the Cultural Personality of the Year is awarded 1 million dirhams (about $272,000). All winners also receive a gold medal and a certificate of appreciation, honored at a ceremony held during the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair.
The 10 categories are: Literature; Translation; Contribution to the Development of Nations; Arab Culture in Other Languages; Children’s Literature; Manuscripts, Encyclopaedias and Lexicons; Literary and Art Criticism; Young Author; and Publishing and Technology.
Submissions open May 1. Works must be published within the past two years, carry a recognized International Standard Book Number (ISBN) and must not have previously received a major international award. Each nominee may submit only one work in one category. Original works must be written in Arabic, except in categories that accept other languages, including Translation and Arab Culture in Other Languages.
For its 21st edition, the award will accept digital PDF copies of nominated works for the first time, a move organizers said is aimed at streamlining evaluation and broadening access.
RECENT WINNERS
In its 20th edition (2025–2026), held under the patronage of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Egyptian author Ashraf Elashmawy won the Literature prize for his novel “Births in the Zoo,” while Egyptian artist Nagat Al Saghira, one of the most iconic singers in the Arab world, was named Cultural Personality of the Year. Alowais
Moroccan writer Mustafa Rajwan won the Young Author Award for his critical work “Plots and Characters,” and Iraqi-British scholar Nawal Nasrallah took the Translation prize for her English rendering of an Arabic classic.
In the 19th edition, Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami received the Cultural Personality of the Year award for his “cosmopolitan literary sensibilities” and his ability to build a significant readership in the Arab world. Lebanese novelist Hoda Barakat won the Literature award for “Hind, or the Most Beautiful Woman in the World.”
The 18th edition saw Egyptian author Reem Bassiouney win the Literature prize for her historical novel “Al Halwani: The Fatimid Trilogy,” and German scholar Frank Griffel take the Arab Culture in Other Languages category for his work on post-classical Islamic philosophy. That edition received a record 4,240 submissions from 74 countries.
BACKGROUND
Established in 2006 and named in memory of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the UAE, the award has been described as “the Arab World’s equivalent to the Nobel Prize.”
In 2018, the award launched a translation grant to encourage the publication of Arabic literature in other languages, open year-round to publishers and translators worldwide.
Nominations for the Cultural Personality of the Year must be submitted by academic, cultural or research institutions, literary bodies, universities, or by three prominent intellectual figures. All other applicants must submit through the award’s online portal at alcawards.ae. Inquiries can be directed to info@zayedaward.ae.