The Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Awards (or Al Owais Awards; Arabic: جائزة سلطان بن علي العويس) are a biennial prize for literary and cultural achievement in the Arab world.[1] It is administered by the Sultan Bin Al Owais Cultural Foundation of the United Arab Emirates.[1] The award was established by the late Emirati businessman and philanthropist Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais. 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 US$100,000 for a total of US$400,000 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 US$100,000.[2]

In 2004, the poetry prize was given to Iraqi poet Saadi Youssef but was controversially withdrawn after he criticized Emirati ruler Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.[3]

Winners

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List of winners:[4]

1988–1989

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1990–1991

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1992–1993

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1994–1995

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1996–1997

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1998–1999

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2000–2001

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2002–2003

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2004–2005

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2006–2007

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2008–2009

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2010–2011

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2012–2013

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2014–2015

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2016–2017

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2018–2019

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2020–2021

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2022–2023

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References

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  1. ^ a b Standing Regulations, Al Owais Award website.
  2. ^ Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Award for Scientific and Cultural Achievement Archived 2012-05-07 at the Wayback Machine, award criteria for Scientific and Cultural Achievement
  3. ^ "FEATURE-Prestigious 'Arabic Booker' plagued by criticisms". Reuters. 15 December 2010. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  4. ^ "Winners". مؤسسة سلطان بن علي العويس الثقافية. Sultan Bin Al Owais Cultural Foundation. Retrieved 28 November 2022.
  5. ^ "King Faisal Foundation Receives Sultan Al Owais Award". Eye of Riyadh. 6 May 2016.
  6. ^ "BACA chief presented with Al-Owais award". Bahrain News Agency. 19 December 2019.
  7. ^ "SG of Assilah Forum Foundation Receives in Dubai Al-Owais Award for Cultural and Scientific Achievement | MapNews". Maghreb Arabe Press. 3 March 2022.
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