The Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (KFAS) has awarded renowned Saudi academic and literary critic Dr Abdullh Al Ghathami its Prize in Humanities, Arts and Literature for his contributions to Arab literature and the arts.
In its 44th edition for 2025, the award recognised Al Ghathami’s distinguished intellectual and academic contributions at the international level, highlighting his role in advancing knowledge, promoting cultural awareness and humanising intellectual discourse.
Al Ghathami served as a faculty member at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah between 1978 and 1989, where he helped establish the Arabic Language Department and the university’s literary journal. He also contributed to the development of several academic and scholarly projects, including the Arabisation and Translation Centre and the Scientific Research Centre.
During that period, Al Ghathami served as deputy chairman of the Jeddah Literary and Cultural Club and took part in a wide range of academic and cultural activities across the kingdom. In 1988, he moved to King Saud University in Riyadh, where he continued his academic and critical works in the field of literature.
He also developed a distinctive critical project focused on analysing patterns that shape literary texts and their reception within Arab culture. Over the course of his career, he authored around 40 books, including “Cultural Criticism”, “A Journey to the Republic of Theory”, “Women and Language”, “The Tale of Modernity in Saudi Arabia”, “The Believing Heart”, “The Consequences of Philosophy: From Philosophy to Theory”, “Issues in Cultural Criticism”, “The wearer From the papers of Abu Tayeb al-Mutanabbi”, and “What If I Am Wrong?”.
Al Ghathami was also awarded the Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Award in its sixth edition (1998–1999) in the field of literary studies and criticism, in recognition of his pioneering critical project, particularly his works analysing cultural and critical patterns.
