Call for entries for the twenty-first edition of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award (SZBA)  

Devoted to Arab literature and cultures and open to submissions in Spanish, the award is accepting entries until September 1. For the first time ever, works may be submitted in PDF format, with no requirement to send in physical copies. Please see the rules and regulations below. 

Organized by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Center (ALC), which forms part of the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT Abu Dhabi), the award recognizes the contributions of writers, translators, researchers, scholars and publishers to the advancement of Arabic literature and culture across all fields of knowledge each year.  

With this twenty-first edition, the Sheikh Zayed Book Award is entering its third decade. Since it was created in 2006, it has received over 33,000 submissions and honored 144 winners, playing a pivotal role in promoting the global outreach of Arab culture. Building on twenty years of cultural prestige and an international impact, the organization is once again inviting authors, scholars, translators and publishers to contribute to an enduring legacy which continues to shape literary and intellectual excellence across all cultures.

Following the success of collaborations in Spain with Casa Árabe in Madrid and the Euro-Arab Foundation (FUNDEA) in Granada, Spanish scholars are now invited to submit their works to the twenty-first edition of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award. The Award has a strong tradition of excellence linked to Spain. For instance, the most notable recent award recipients have included Casa Árabe, named Cultural Figure of the Year at the eighteenth edition in 2024, while well-known Spanish Arabist Pedro Martínez Montávez was given acknowledgment in 2009.

Candidacies may be submitted on the Sheikh Zayed Book Award website, where further information on the categories is also available. The award includes ten categories, five of which are open to international nominations and books in languages other than Arabic:

- Arab Culture in Other Languages: works published in the last five years in Spanish, English, German, French or Italian, including mainly academic works that explore Arab culture, literature, history or language.
- Translation (to or from Arabic): translations of works in any genre published in the last two years
- Editing of Arabic manuscripts: works that have made a significant contribution to the field of manuscript editing and represent an important contribution to Arab culture and human knowledge, including the publication of lexicons
- Publication and Technology: for publishers, distributors, research organizations and cultural institutions that promote Arab culture
- Cultural Figure of the Year: this honors a prominent Arab or international individual or institution that has contributed to the advancement of Arab culture. Nominations may be submitted by academic institutions, literary and research organizations, or by three prominent figures in the world of culture.  

For the first time ever, works may also be submitted in PDF format, with no requirement to send in physical copies

Further information and submission of candidacies.