ABU DHABI, (Pakistan Point News - 09th Jun, 2026) The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), part of the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), will continue accepting nominations for the fourth edition of the Sard Al Thahab Award until 31st August 2026. The award forms part of the Centre's ongoing efforts to strengthen the presence of the Arabic language, support cultural activity, and reinforce Abu Dhabi’s position as a global centre for creativity and knowledge.
The Centre invites candidates to visit its website, select the appropriate category corresponding to their works, complete the application form, and submit their entries in digital format (PDF) — a requirement specific to this edition.
Applications must include a CV outlining the candidate’s academic and creative background, a passport copy, and a personal photograph. The Centre urges applicants to ensure their works fulfil the award’s technical and procedural requirements, in order to maintain the quality of submissions and upholds the creative standards Sard Al Thahab seeks to achieve. Enquiries may be directed to the ALC at [email protected].
With its six categories, the Sard Al Thahab Award aims to honour narrators of biographies and popular narratives and to support storytelling arts that creatively highlight Emirati and Arab heritage. The Short Story category is divided into two sections: the Short Story for Unpublished Stories, which focuses on unpublished narrative works and celebrates new narrative creations for their originality and contribution to this artform; and Short Story for Published Stories, which recognises published narrative works that reimagine folk heritage through artistic expression.
The award also includes the Popular Narratives category, which honours stories and studies that analyse folk narratives and their role in shaping cultural identity; the Narrators category, which honours local and Arab narrators of popular biographies; and the Illustrated Story category, dedicated to works that combine literary text and artistic imagery.
The award also includes the Emirati Narration category, is presented to individuals or institutions, or to outstanding works in Arabic and other languages, that strengthen the Emirati narrative and reinforce the values upon which the UAE was founded, namely, civilisational advancement, cultural exchange, dialogue, tolerance, moderation, and coexistence.
Nomination criteria require submitted works to be written in Arabic, with the exception of the Emirati Narration category, which accepts submissions in other languages. Each participant may submit one work per edition, provided it has not won another award in the same year. Previous works may be resubmitted, subject to the specified conditions.
Sard Al Thahab accepts submissions across all categories from individuals, cultural organisations, or academic institutions. Nominations for the Emirati Narration category must be submitted through academic, research, and cultural bodies, or by the award’s Higher Committee. In any case, applicants must comply with the conditions set out in the nomination form for each category.
The award may not be granted to works that have previously won a major Arab or international prize. However, resubmission of the same work is permitted, provided the required time period has elapsed and a new application is submitted.
The Sard Al Thahab Award continues to pursue its mission to support storytelling arts in all their forms and to honour narrators of biographies and folk narratives, reviving the folk tale tradition and promoting it among new generations. It also highlights the role of folk narratives in shaping collective memory and strengthening cultural identity, in line with the UAE’s commitment to safeguarding heritage and promoting cultural and creative industries.
Since its launch in 2023, the award has recorded steady growth in participation and engagement, with submissions received from 37 countries in its previous editions. The figures reflect Sard Al Thahab’s growing standing as a regional and global platform celebrating narrative arts and supporting their sustainability amid rapid cultural change.
