The Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Awards (or Al Owais Awards; ar, جائزة سلطان بن علي العويس) are a biannual prize for literary and cultural achievement in the

Arab world The Arab world ( ar, اَلْعَالَمُ الْعَرَبِيُّ '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, refers to a vast group of countries, mainly located in Western A ...

.Standing Regulations
Al Owais Award website. It is administered by the Sultan Bin Al Owais Cultural Foundation of the

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...

. The award was established by the late Emirati businessman and philanthropist

Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it ...

. 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 . In 2004, the poetry prize was given to Iraqi poet Saadi Youssef but was controversially withdrawn after he criticized UAE ruler Sheikh Zayed bin al-Nahiyan.

Winners

List of winners:

1988–1989

* Poetry:

Fadwa Touqan Fadwa Tuqan ( ar, فدوى طوقان, also transliterated as ''Fadwa Tuqan'', es, Fadwa Tuqan, french: Fadwa Touquan and Fadwa Tuqan; 1917 – 12 December 2003), was a Palestinian poet known for her representations of resistance to Israeli occu ...

* Stories, Novels & Drama: Sa’ad Allah Wanous, Hanna Mena * Criticism & Literature Studies: Jabra Ebrahim Jabra, Ali Jawad Al Taher

1990–1991

* Stories, Novels & Drama: Alfred Farag, Abdul Rahman Mouneef * 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 Baraddouni Abdullah Al-Baradouni ( ar, عبدالله البردوني; 1929–1999) was a Yemeni writer, poet and critic. He published 12 poetry books as well as six other books on topics such as politics, folklore, and literature. He is considered Y ...

* Stories, Novels & Drama: Sulaiman Fayyad, Sun-Allah Ebrahim * Criticism & Literature Studies: Yumna Al Eid,

Farooq Abdul Qader Farooq (also transliterated as Farouk, Faruqi, Farook, Faruk, Faroeq, Faruq, or Farouq, Farooqi, Faruque or Farooqui; ar, فاروق, Fārūq) is a common Arabic given and family name. ''Al-Fārūq'' literally means "the one who distinguishes b ...

* Human & Future Studies:

Abdullah Abdul Dayem Abdullah may refer to: * Abdullah (name), a list of people with the given name or surname * Abdullah, Kargı, Turkey, a village * ''Abdullah'' (film), a 1980 Bollywood film directed by Sanjay Khan * '' Abdullah: The Final Witness'', a 2015 Pakis ...

* Cultural & Scientific Achievements:

Nizar Qabbani Nizar Tawfiq Qabbani ( ar, نزار توفيق قباني, , french: Nizar Kabbani; 21 March 1923 – 30 April 1998) was a Syrian diplomat, poet, writer and publisher. He is considered to be Syria's National Poet. His poetic style combines simp ...

1994–1995

* Poetry:

Abdul Wahhab Al Bayati Abd al-Wahhab al-Bayati (December 19, 1926 – August 3, 1999) was an Iraqi Arab poet. He was a pioneer in his field and defied conventional forms of poetry that had been common for centuries. Biography He was born in Baghdad, near the shrine o ...

* Stories, Novels & Drama:

Edward Al Kharrat Edwar al-Kharrat ( ar, إدوار الخراط‎; 16 March 1926 – 1 December 2015) was an Egyptian novelist, writer and critic. Early life He was born in Alexandria to a Coptic Christian family. He studied law at Alexandria University and w ...

* Criticism & Literature Studies:

Nasser Al deen Al Assad Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein, . (15 January 1918 – 28 September 1970) was an Egyptian politician who served as the second president of Egypt from 1954 until his death in 1970. Nasser led the Egyptian revolution of 1952 and introduced far-re ...

* Human & Future Studies: Awatef Abdul Rahman,

Mohammed Ghanem Al Rumaihi Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the monoth ...

* Cultural & Scientific Achievements:

Hamad Al Jasser Hamad may refer to: People *Hamad (name), an Arabic given name and surname *Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa (1872–1942), Ruler of Bahrain from 1932 until his death in 1942. *Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain since 2002. Cities and villages *H ...

1996–1997

* Poetry:

Ahmed Abdul Mutti Hijazi Ahmad ( ar, أحمد, ʾAḥmad) is an Arabic male given name common in most parts of the Muslim world. Other spellings of the name include Ahmed and Ahmet. Etymology The word derives from the root (ḥ-m-d), from the Arabic (), from the ve ...

, Ebrahim Nassrullah * Stories, Novels & Drama: Jamal Al Ghitani, Waleed Ekhlassi * Criticism & Literature Studies: Jaber Assfour, Shukri Ayyad * Human & Future Studies: Mohammed Jaber Al Anssari, Fahmi Jada’an, Mohammed Jaber Al Anssari * Cultural & Scientific Achievements: Edward Saeed

1998–1999

* Poetry: Mohammed Afifi Mattar * Stories, Novels & Drama: Fuad Al Takarli * Criticism & Literature Studies: Abdullah Al Ghozami * Human & Future Studies: Saleh Ahmad Al Ali, Nasseef Nassar * Cultural & Scientific Achievements: Yousef Al Qaradhawi

2000–2001

* Poetry:

Qassim Haddad Qassim Haddad (born 1948) is a Bahraini poet, particularly notable within the Arab world for his free verse poetry. His poems have been translated in several languages including German, English and French. Biography Qassim Haddad was born in Bah ...

* Stories, Novels & Drama: Zakaria Tamir, Mohammad Al Bassati * Criticism & Literature Studies: Mohsin Jassim Al Mosawi * Human & Future Studies: Abdul Wahab Al Maseeri * Cultural & Scientific Achievements: ''

Al-Arabi Al-Arabi may refer to: Companies *Al-Arabi Group, a holding company in the Kuwait Stock Exchange#Services *Al Arabi Investment Group (AB Invest), a subsidiary of Arab Bank *Al Arabi Investment Group Company, a subsidiary of Arab Bank Media *'' A ...

'' magazine

2002–2003

* Poetry: Hasab Al Sheikh Ja’afar * Stories, Novels & Drama:

Muhammad Khudayyir Muhammad Khudayyir (born 1942) is an Iraqi writer. He was born in Basra where he still lives. He is mainly known as a writer of short stories, having published several collections till date. These include ''Black Kingdom'' and ''Vision of Autumn'' ...

* Criticism & Literature Studies: Mustafa Abdou Nassif * Human & Future Studies: Mahmoud Ameen Al A’lem * Cultural & Scientific Achievements: Mahmoud Darwish, Adunis

2004–2005

* Poetry: Mohammed Al Maghout * Stories, Novels & Drama: Iz Aldin Al Madani * Criticism & Literature Studies: Mohammed Meftah * Human & Future Studies: Antoon Zahlan * Cultural & Scientific Achievements:

Tharwat Okasha Tharwat Okasha (Also spelt Sarwat Okasha, ar, ثروت عكاشة; 1921–27 February 2012) was an Egyptian writer, translator and influential minister of culture during the Nasserite era, and is known as the "founder of Egypt's cultural institut ...

2006–2007

* Poetry:

Mohammed Bennis Mohammed Bennis ( ar, محمد بنيس; born 1948) is a Moroccan poet and one of the most prominent writers of modern Arabic poetry. Since the 1970s, he has enjoyed a particular status within Arab culture. Muhsin J al-Musawi states that "Bennis� ...

* Stories Novels & Drama: Yousef el-Sharoni, Elias Khoury * Criticism & Literature Studies:

Abdelfattah Kilito Abdelfattah Kilito ( ar, عبد الفتاح كيليطو; born 10 April 1945, in Rabat) is a Moroccan writer. He is the author of several books in Arabic and in French. He has also written articles for magazines such as ''Poétique'' and ''Stud ...

* Human & Future Studies: Hisham D'jait * Cultural & Scientific Achievements:

Juma Al Majid Juma al Majid (born in Dubai, United Arab Emirates around 1930) is an Emirati businessman, political adviser, and philanthropist. In 2016, Al Majid was ranked among the richest Arabs in the world. Early life and career Juma Majid was born in Al ...

, Salma Khadra Jayyusi

2008–2009

* Poetry:

Abdulaziz Al-Maqaleh Abdul Aziz Al-Maqaleh (Arabic:; 1937 – 28 November 2022) was a Yemeni poet and writer. He followed the school of free poetry and he was the Yemen's first poet to win the Al-Owais cultural Award. Life and career Al-Maqaleh was born in 1937 ...

* Stories, Novels & Drama: El Taher Wattar * Criticism & Literature Studies: Abdul Salam Misaddi * Human & Future Studies:

Galal Amin Galal Ahmad Amin ( ar, جلال أمين; 1935 – 25 September 2018) was an award-winning professor of economics at the American University in Cairo and Egyptian economist and commentator.Michael R. Fischbach, 'Amin, Galal (1935-)', in ''Biog ...

* Cultural & Scientific Achievements:

Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak Sheikh (pronounced or ; ar, شيخ ' , mostly pronounced , plural ' )—also transliterated sheekh, sheyikh, shaykh, shayk, shekh, shaik and Shaikh, shak—is an honorific title in the Arabic language. It commonly designates a chief of a ...

2010–2011

* Poetry: Mohammed Ali Shams Al Din * Stories, Novels & Drama:

Radwa Ashour Radwa Ashour ( ar, رضوى عاشور) (26 May 1946 – 30 November 2014) was an Egyptian novelist. Life Ashour was born in El-Manial to Mustafa Ashour, a lawyer and literature enthusiast, and Mai Azzam, a poet and an artist. She graduate ...

* Criticism & Literature Studies: Faisal Darraj * Human & Future Studies: Abdul Aziz Al Douri * Cultural & Scientific Achievements:

Amin Maalouf Amin Maalouf (; ar, أمين معلوف; born 25 February 1949) is a Lebanese-born French"Amin ...

2012–2013

* Poetry:

Mohammad Ibrahim Abu Senna Mohammad Ibrahim Abu Senna ( ar, محمد ابراهيم أبو سنّة) (born 1937) was an Egyptian poet in the 1960s. His writings are known for its smoothness, and his love poems are considered unique.

, 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 Yusuf al-Qa'id ( ar, يوسف القعيد, Yūsuf al-Qaʿīd, translit-std=ALA; born 2 April 1944) is an Egyptian novelist. He is best known in the West for ''War in the Land of Egypt'' ( ar, الحرب في برّ مصر, Al-Ḥarb fī Barr Mi� ...

Ismail Fahd Ismail Ismail Fahd Ismail or Ismāʿīl Fahd Ismāʿīl (1940 – 25 September 2018). was a Kuwaiti novelist, short story writer, and literary critic. He was acclaimed as the finest and most prolific writer in the history of Kuwait, with over twenty nove ...

* Criticism & Literature Studies:

Salah Fadl Mohamed Salahuddin Abdel-Sameeh Fadl (Arabic: صلاح فضل) (21 March 1938 – 10 December 2022) was an Egyptian academic, writer, and translator from Kafr el Sheikh. He has held many educational and non-educational positions in Egypt and abr ...

Kamal Abu-Deeb Kamal Abu-Deeb in Arabic (كمال أبو ديب) (born 1942 in Safita, Syria) is Chair of Arabic at the University of London. He was a Leverhulme Trust Fellow. Life He graduated from Damascus University, Trinity College, Oxford, and St John's Col ...

* Human & Future Studies: Roshdi Rashed * Cultural & Scientific Achievements: King Faisal Foundation

2016–2017

* Poetry: Chawki Bazih * Stories, Novels & Drama:

Hoda Barakat Hoda Barakat ( ar, هدى بركات) (born 1952) is an award-winning Lebanese novelist. She lived most of her early life in Beirut before moving to Paris, where she now resides. She has published six novels, two plays, a book of short stories, a ...

, Abdel Khaliq al-Rikabi * Criticism & Literature Studies: Hammadi Hmaida Sammoud * Human & Future Studies:

Georges Corm Georges Corm is a Lebanese economist. He served as minister of finance in the government of Salim Hoss from 1998 to 2000. He studied at the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris (1958-1961) where he graduated in Public Finance and has also a PhD ...

* 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 Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa is a Bahraini politician and former government minister. Biography Sheika Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa was appointed Minister of Information in Bahrain in 2009; she was the first woman to become the Information Mi ...

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

References

{{Reflist

External links

Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Award
official website Arabic literary awards Awards established in 1988 Arabic poetry awards Fiction awards Literary awards honoring writers Emirati awards 1988 establishments in the United Arab Emirates