The Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Foundation has announced that nominations for the 20th edition of the Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Award (2026–2027) have now closed.
Established in 1987 by the late poet Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais, the award is an independent and impartial literary prize whose selection criteria are based solely on creative merit, without regard to nominees’ political affiliations or ideological beliefs. It also makes no distinction based on race, religion or gender.
With a total prize value of US$750,000, distributed equally across its five categories at US$150,000 each, the award aims to encourage and honour Arab writers, authors, thinkers, and scholars in recognition of their contributions to advancing intellectual, literary, cultural, and scientific development across the Arab world.
The award opened nominations for its 20th edition on 1 February 2025 and closed them on1 August 2026. The award comprises five categories: Poetry; Short Story, Novel and Drama; Literary Studies and Criticism; Humanities and Future Studies; and the Scientific and Cultural Achievement Award. The first four categories are subject to evaluation by independent judging panels, while the Achievement Award is not adjudicated through the same process. Instead, the Foundation’s Board of Trustees selects a cultural, scientific or public figure, or an institution, that has left a lasting imprint and significant and enduring impact on cultural life.
The Foundation has sent hundreds of nomination forms to universities, cultural institutions, literary associations, writers’ unions, cultural organisations and publishing houses across the Arab world, ensuring they are readily available to prospective nominees throughout the region. Nomination forms may also be obtained directly from the Foundation or downloaded from its official website at www.alowais.com.
Regarding the nomination process, in addition to nominations submitted by universities, cultural institutions, unions, literary associations and publishing houses, the Foundation allows authors and scholars to nominate themselves directly to the General Secretariat. It also permits any five Arab authors to nominate a candidate they deem worthy of the award, subject to the nominee’s approval upon being contacted by the Award’s General Secretariat.
In its previous edition, the Foundation honoured His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, with the Achievement Award in recognition of his exceptional contribution to the global cultural landscape.
The winners of the 19th edition included Iraqi poet Hamid Saeed in the Poetry category, Iraqi novelist Inaam Kachachi in the Short Story, Novel and Drama category, Moroccan critic Hamid Lahmidani in Literary Studies and Criticism, and Tunisian historian and thinker Abdeljelil Al Tamimi in the Humanities and Future Studies category.
