Author: ArabianRecords.org

ABU DHABI, U.A.E : Sheikh Zayed Book Award names 2026 winners and outlines plans for 20th anniversary

Authors, scholars and institutions from Arab world and beyond honoured as Abu Dhabi prize celebrates two decades of cultural influence.

The 2026 winners of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award were announced on Friday, marking two decades of one of the Arab world’s most influential literary prizes.

Established in 2006 and held under the patronage of President Sheikh Mohamed, the award has grown into a fixture on the region’s cultural calendar, drawing submissions from across the world and supporting the global reach of Arabic literature.

This year’s winners reflect that international scope, with recipients from countries including Egypt, Morocco, Germany and the UAE.

Egyptian writer Ashraf Elashmawy took the Literature prize for his novel Births in the Zoo, a work that explores shifts in Egyptian society through closely observed, character-driven storytelling. Moroccan researcher Mustapha Rajouane won in the Young Author category for a study examining how rhetoric shapes narrative in the modern Arabic novel.

In Translation, Iraqi-American scholar Nawal Nasrallah has been recognised for her English edition of a 13th-century Arabic culinary text, bringing a complex historical manuscript to a wider readership. Jordanian academic Zuhair Tawfiq received the Literary and Art Criticism award for his study of how Arab and western cultures have historically imagined one another.

German writer and translator Stefan Weidner won in the Arab Culture in Other Languages category for a major anthology of pre-Islamic Arabic poetry, while the Emirates Literature Foundation was honoured for its role in developing the UAE’s literary scene and supporting readers and writers.

The Encyclopaedias and Lexicons category went to Egyptian academic Mohamed Elkhosht for his six-volume Encyclopaedia of World Religions, and veteran Egyptian singer Nagat Al Saghira was named Cultural Personality of the Year, recognising a career that has helped shape modern Arabic song and language.

More than 4,000 submissions were received from 74 countries, underlining the award’s growing international profile. Since its launch, it has attracted more than 33,000 entries and honoured 136 winners, including writers, translators and cultural institutions.

Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak , chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, said the award continues to build on the UAE’s long-standing investment in culture and knowledge, while Ali bin Tamim, secretary general of the award, described it as a platform that has helped shape contemporary Arabic literary and research landscapes.

A programme of events is planned throughout the year to mark the award’s 20th anniversary. Winners will be honoured at a ceremony in Abu Dhabi, with Al Saghira receiving Dh1 million for being Cultural Personality of the Year, and other category winners awarded Dh750,000 each.

source/content: nationalnews.com (headline edited)

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From left, Nawal Nasrallah, Ashraf Elashmawy and Stefan Weidner are among the winners of the 20th edition. Photo: Sheikh Zayed Book Award

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EGYPT / IRAQ / JORDAN / MOROCCO / U.A.E

EGYPT : Shahira Fahmy Named Jury President of Arab World Institute Award

Shahira Fahmy has been announced as the first Egyptian Jury President of the Arab World Institute Design Award 2026.

As the first Egyptian architect to serve as Jury President of the Arab World Institute Design Award, Shahira Fahmy joins a panel of designers, curators, editors and cultural figures shaping the fourth edition of the Paris-based award programme. Organised by the Institut du Monde Arabe, the award recognises emerging and established designers from across the Arab world, with a focus on craftsmanship, material innovation and contemporary design practices.

“Design in the Arab world has always carried memory, resourcefulness and a strong understanding of place,” says Shahira Fahmy. “What interests me about this award is its ability to create visibility for designers responding to current realities while remaining connected to local knowledge and cultural identity.”

The Arab World Institute Design Award 2026 invites projects created between September 2024 and April 2026 across four categories: Emerging Talent Award, Contemporary Craftsmanship Award, Impact Award in partnership with Arab Bank Switzerland, and the Grand Prize for established architects and designers. The programme examines how design engages with sustainability, craft traditions, production processes and material research across the region.

Founded in Cairo in 2005, SFA – Shahira Fahmy Architects expanded to Dubai in 2024 and works across architecture, heritage restoration, urban planning, and interior design. The practice is known for projects including the restoration and rehabilitation of Zone 1 in AlUla Old Town, Dar Tantora The House Hotel and Beit Bin Nouh for the Royal Commission for AlUla. The work contributed to AlUla Old Town’s nomination for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in 2025.

“For me, architecture and design are tied to people and context,” Fahmy says. “Whether working on a heritage site in AlUla or a contemporary urban project, the process begins by listening to what already exists.”

A graduate of Cairo University, Fahmy taught at the university for a decade and has lectured internationally at institutions including Columbia GSAPP and The American University in Cairo. Her work has also been recognised through fellowships at Harvard University, including the Loeb Fellowship at the Graduate School of Design, the Hutchins Fellowship at the W. E. B. Du Bois Research Institute, and the Berkman Klein Fellowship at Harvard Law School.

Joining Fahmy on this year’s jury are Daniele Gerkens, Memia Taktak, Mette Degn Christensen, Michèle Maria Chaya, Nicolas Lecompte, Samer Yamani, Sheikha Reem Al Thani, Aidan Imanova, Ali Khadra and Arnaud Morand.

“It is important to see platforms like this continue conversations around Arab design through ecology, craftsmanship, material experimentation, and the future of communities across the region,” Fahmy adds.

Finalist projects will be shortlisted in May 2026. The selected projects will then be reviewed by the jury ahead of the awards ceremony at the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris in September 2026, as part of Paris Design Week.

source/content: cairoscene.com (headline edited)

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EGYPT / ARAB

SAUDI ARABIA : King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) scientists develop nanoscale ‘drug factory’ that produces medicine inside living cells

Breakthrough advances programmable drug delivery through nanoscale protein engineering, say researchers.

Scientists at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology have engineered nanoscale particles capable of transporting six proteins into living cells, where they work together as a miniature “drug factory” to produce violacein, a bioactive compound under study for therapeutic use.

The findings, detailed in a press release published recently on KAUST’s news site, offer an early demonstration of how future therapies might one day generate treatment compounds directly inside the body, only where they are needed.

Researchers said the approach could eventually allow treatments to act more precisely at the site of disease while reducing unwanted effects on healthy tissue.

Published in the journal Advanced Materials, the study combines nanotechnology, materials science and bioengineering to tackle a longstanding medical challenge: delivering multiple proteins into cells simultaneously so they can perform coordinated biological functions.

Researchers packaged six proteins inside porous, sponge-like particles known as metal-organic frameworks, or MOFs, creating what they described as synthetic organelles — engineered structures that mimic functions found in living cells.

Once inside mammalian cells, the proteins remained active and worked sequentially to convert a simple amino acid into violacein. According to the researchers, it is the most complex multiprotein system yet delivered into living cells and the first example of a “protein pathway transplant.”

“It was a bit of a moonshot,” said Raik Grunberg, senior research scientist at KAUST and one of the study’s corresponding authors.

“Protein delivery into the cell is difficult enough for individual proteins, so researchers usually do not even try with more than one or two. What we show here is that we can take a whole integrated protein system … and bring it into human cells as one functional unit.”

Niveen Khashab, professor of chemical science at KAUST, said the team overcame major technical hurdles after conventional MOF materials caused proteins to lose activity.

“By engineering a more porous, sponge-like framework, we were able to create an environment where the system could finally work as intended,” she said.

Researchers said the platform is designed to be adjustable, allowing scientists to fine-tune how proteins interact inside cells and potentially paving the way for programmable therapies tailored to specific diseases.

Stefan T. Arold, professor of bioscience at KAUST and another corresponding author, said the project demonstrated how combining expertise across biology and materials science could unlock new therapeutic approaches.

Although the work remains at an early stage and requires further validation before clinical use, the researchers said it points toward future treatments capable of producing beneficial compounds directly inside diseased tissue while minimizing side effects elsewhere in the body.

The KAUST team plans to test the system next in animal models as part of ongoing efforts to explore its therapeutic potential.

source/content: arabnews.com (headline edited)

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The breakthrough offers an early proof of concept for therapies that could one day generate treatment compounds directly inside the body at the site of disease. (KAUST News photo)

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SAUDI ARABIA

ALGERIA : UNESCO Confirms Algeria’s Primacy in the Inscription of Caftan (Statement)

The 20th session of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, meeting Thursday in New Delhi, has clearly and unequivocally confirmed the primacy of Algeria’s inscription of the Caftan as an essential component of its rich cultural heritage, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the National Community Abroad and African Affairs said in a statement.

On this occasion, the Committee decided to modify the name of the element inscribed in 2024 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity to explicitly include the Caftan, as well as the Quat and the Lhef. The Algerian element now bears the new designation: “Women’s ceremonial costume in the Eastern region of Algeria: knowledge and skills associated with the making and adornment of the Gandoura and the Melehfa.”

The Committee also approved the modification of the file titled “Rites and craftsmanship associated with the wedding costume tradition of Tlemcen,” inscribed since 2012 on the Representative List. It decided to add the mention “the Wearing of the Caftan” to section B3 of the ICH-02 form, in accordance with the submitted document.

These decisions represent “a new major diplomatic success for Algeria, both on the international cultural scene and within the framework of multilateral diplomacy.” They reaffirm “the historical and cultural primacy of Algeria’s inscription of the Caftan on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and strengthen the international recognition of this exceptional intangible heritage,” the statement added.

The decision “consolidates Algeria’s place on UNESCO’s Representative List” and constitutes explicit recognition of the “sustained and continuous efforts of the State to promote, preserve and highlight Algeria’s rich cultural heritage, the product of centuries of history reflecting the depth and authenticity of our nation.”

This recognition “also reflects the relevance of the approach adopted in implementing the instructions of the country’s high authorities to promote our cultural heritage in all its components and forms, while protecting it from any attempt at imitation, appropriation or falsification,” the statement concluded.

source/content: al24news.dz

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ALGERIA

MOROCCO Marks International Day of Argania, Its ‘Liquid Gold’ Source

The UN-recognized day proves Morocco’s argan tree as a source of heritage, climate resilience, rural livelihoods, and women-led economic activity.

Morocco celebrated the International Day of Argania yesterday, celebrating five years since the United Nations recognized the argan tree as a global symbol of heritage, sustainability, and rural resilience.

The UN General Assembly, in a resolution led by Morocco, proclaimed May 10 the International Day of Argania in 2021. The resolution was co-sponsored by 113 UN member states and adopted by consensus, placing Morocco’s endemic argan tree on the international calendar.

Omar Hilale, Morocco’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, marked the anniversary with a public address linking the tree to climate action and human heritage.

“Today, we celebrate 5 years since the historic recognition by the United Nations of the International Day of the Argan Tree,” Hilale said. “The Argan Tree, a treasure of Morocco and heritage of humanity, embodies a concrete solution to climate and water challenges. Morocco will continue to champion this ambition in the service of a more sustainable and united future.

A Moroccan tree with global recognition

The argan tree grows mainly in southwestern Morocco, especially between the Atlantic coast and the Atlas Mountains. It has long supported rural communities through food, oil, animal feed, shade, soil protection, and income generation.

The tree also carries several layers of international recognition. UNESCO designated the Arganeraie Biosphere Reserve in 1998, and in 2014 added “practices and know-how concerning the argan tree” to its intangible cultural heritage list. FAO also recognized the argan-based agro-sylvo-pastoral system in the Ait Souab-Ait Mansour area as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System in 2018.

This recognition reflects more than the global popularity of argan oil. It points to a fully integrated ecosystem in which people, trees, animals, traditional knowledge, and markets are closely connected.

FAO has described the argan tree as important for food security, nutrition, income generation, and rural livelihoods, especially for women. The organization has also highlighted its role in drought-prone areas, where communities have built production systems around trees that can survive heat and arid conditions.

A key sector for Morocco

Morocco remains the center of global argan production. The sector is rooted in the country’s Indigenous knowledge and women-led cooperative work, with more than 830,000 hectares of argan forests recognized as part of the UNESCO biosphere reserve.

Argan oil production has become one of Morocco’s most visible rural industries. It supplies both food and cosmetics markets, with demand coming from Europe, North America, and the global beauty industry.

In 2020, Morocco’s annual argan oil production was estimated at about 5,000 tons, while exports exceeded 1,200 tons by the end of that year. The sector was also reported to generate nearly MAD 1.2 billion (approximately $131 million) in annual turnover and support more than 25,500 jobs.

More recent market estimates place Morocco’s annual argan oil production between 2,500 and 4,000 metric tons, with a large share exported to European and North American markets.

source/content: moroccoworldnews.com (headline edited)

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MOROCCO

GCC holds ‘Gulf Achievements Forum’ to spotlight regional achievements 

The Gulf Radio and Television Organization hosted the “Gulf Achievements Forum,” at GCC headquarters in Riyadh on Monday to showcase the milestones of joint Gulf action, enhance public awareness of regional achievements and explore the strategic future of Gulf integration.

The event aimed to “enhance awareness of the achievements that have directly reflected on the quality of life of the Gulf citizen, and to strengthen the position of the Cooperation Council regionally and internationally,” said secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Jasem Al-Budaiwi.

During his opening remarks, the secretary-general affirmed that the Gulf Cooperation Council had transformed challenges into opportunities through integration across all areas of joint Gulf action, “directly impacting the quality of life for Gulf citizens, enhancing their well-being, and strengthening the GCC’s regional and international standing.”

He also stressed that the GCC was no longer just a regional bloc joined by geography and history, but has become a global strategic power where opportunities were created, and models of development, prosperity, security and stability were built.

Al-Badawi said that rapid regional and international changes had proven that the strength of the GCC lay in its “unity and cohesion.”

He stressed that joint Gulf action was no longer merely a developmental choice but a strategic necessity dictated by the nature of the current regional security requirements, global economic shifts and accelerating global challenges.

He added that the GCC states had adopted a specific strategy to combat money laundering, noting the high level of coordination among the interior ministers of the GCC countries to unify their anti-drug strategy.

“The GCC achievements reviewed today are a reflection of an ambitious strategic vision, continuous coordination and a firm political will among the GCC countries,” he said.

Al-Badawi underlined that 95 percent of the traffic connectivity between the Gulf Cooperation Council countries had been completed.

The secretary-general highlighted several qualitative achievements he took pride in, including political integration, military and security cooperation, economic infrastructure, digital transformation, education, health, media, electrical interconnection and food security.

The forum opened with remarks from senior GCC officials, including the secretary-general and the director general of the Gulf Radio and Television Organization, Dr. Abdulrahman bin Abdulaziz Al-Hazzaa.

In his address, Al-Hazzaa emphasized that the event shed light on unifying the media message to amplify the achievements of joint Gulf action.

Al-Hazzaa said that the citizens of the GCC countries were living in “prosperity and stability,” stressing that joint Gulf action was prospering under a clear vision that enhanced development and integration among the GCC countries.

The forum also featured panel sessions and keynotes from key stakeholders on topics such as media, AI, countering money laundering, and connectivity. 

“The future of the GCC is not measured only by the scale of the achievements made, but by our ability to build upon them and transform them into sustainable gains that meet the aspirations of our peoples and future generations,” Al-Budaiwi said.

The forum was held as the region prepares to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the founding of the GCC on May 25.

“The next phase requires intensified joint Gulf efforts, strengthened integration across all fields, and the building of a Gulf economy capable of competing globally, thereby consolidating the position of the GCC countries as an influential global partner in shaping the economy of the future and sustainable development,” Al-Budaiwi said.

source/content: arabnews.com (headlines edited)

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Al-Badawi said that rapid regional and international changes had proven that the strength of the GCC lay in its “unity and cohesion.” (Supplied)

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GCC ACHIEVEMENTS

PALESTINE : Gaza documentary makers slam BBC after shelved film ‘Gaza : Doctors Under Attack’ wins BAFTA

‘Gaza: Doctors Under Attack’ won the current affairs category after being dropped by the BBC over impartiality concerns, and was later picked up by Channel 4

BBC reportedly broadcasted an edited version of the acceptance speech that removed remarks about Israel

The filmmakers behind “Gaza: Doctors Under Attack” criticized the BBC over its decision to shelve the documentary during their acceptance speech at the BAFTA TV Awards on Sunday.

The film won in the current affairs category after being dropped by the BBC over impartiality concerns, and was later picked up by Channel 4.

Accepting the award, journalist and presenter Ramita Navai said that the film highlighted findings from an investigation into attacks on Gaza’s healthcare system.

“These are the findings of our investigation that the BBC paid for but refused to show,” she said. “But we refuse to be silenced and censored. We thank Channel 4 for showing this film.”

Navai said that more than 1,700 Palestinian doctors and healthcare workers had been killed and more than 400 detained during Israel’s war on Gaza.

She dedicated the award to Palestinian medical workers held in Israeli prisons.

According to local reports, the BBC did not air Navai’s speech in full and instead broadcast an edited version that removed her remarks about Israel, reigniting criticism of the corporation’s handling of Gaza-related coverage.

The BAFTA awards are broadcast on BBC One after a two-hour delay.

The documentary, which features firsthand accounts from Palestinian health workers in Gaza, was honored at London’s Royal Festival Hall nearly a year after the BBC declined to air it.

Executive producer Ben de Pear also used the acceptance speech to thank Jaber Badwan and Osama Al-Ashi — the journalists behind the film — before addressing the BBC directly.

“Finally, just a question for the BBC: Given you dropped our film, will you drop us from the Bafta screening later tonight?”

The BBC commissioned the documentary from independent production company Basement Films more than a year ago, but delayed its release while reviewing another Gaza-related documentary, “Gaza: How to Survive a War Zone.”

It later said that it would not air “Gaza: Doctors Under Attack,” arguing that the film risked creating “a perception of partiality that would not meet the high standards that the public rightly expect of the BBC.” The broadcaster also said that impartiality remained “a core principle of BBC News.”

The film was later acquired and broadcast by Channel 4 in July.

source/content:arabnews.com (headline edited)

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The documentary, which features firsthand accounts from Palestinian health workers in Gaza, was honored at London’s Royal Festival Hall nearly a year after the BBC declined to air it. (Getty/File)

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GAZA, PALESTINE

SHARJAH, U.A.E : Al Hamriyah wins gold at Tunisian rowing championship

Al Hamriyah modern rowing team claimed a gold medal at the Tunisian Classic Rowing Championship, held on Lake Tunis from 5th to 10th May 2026, with the participation of nine clubs.

Al Hamriyah secured the gold medal through rowers Hamad Abdullah Al Hosani and Salem Al Mansouri in the under-19 double sculls category.

Salem Al Khayyal, Board Member of Al Hamriyah Club and Head of the Individual Games and Talent Development Committee, congratulated the athletes and coach Captain Sayed Ali Wadhah on the achievement, highlighting the advanced level reached by the team.

The two rowers and their coach expressed pride in the achievement and affirmed their determination to continue working hard to raise the name of Al Hamriyah Club in regional and international competitions.

source/content: wam.ae (headline edited)

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SHARJAH, U.A.E

ARAB ARTEFACTS : France restitution bill puts five colonial-era artefacts from Algeria, Egypt and Jordan back in focus

As country debates easing return of treasures, attention turns to regional pieces still held in its national collections.

French lawmakers are debating a new bill aimed at simplifying the return of colonial-era cultural objects to their countries of origin, drawing renewed attention to artefacts still held in France’s national collections, which number in the tens of thousands.

The draft legislation was unanimously approved by the Senate in January and now requires backing from the lower house, the Assemblee Nationale, before it can become a law.

While not all cases are at the same stage, these five objects from Algeria, Egypt and Jordan sit within that broader restitution debate, whether through formal state requests, public campaigns or long-standing calls for their return.

1. Baba Merzoug, Algeria

The 16th-century cannon known as Baba Merzoug at the Arsenal of Brest in western France. AFP

The 16th-century bronze cannon from the Ottoman era in Algiers is housed at the naval base in the French coastal city of Brest after being taken by French forces in 1830 following the capture of Algiers.

While seized as a spoil of war, the cannon remains a politically charged symbol of French colonial rule in Algeria. The Algerian government formally requested its return in 2012, and the cannon was explicitly cited during the April 2026 parliamentary debate over France’s proposed restitution framework.

2. Emir Abdelkader’s effects, Algeria

Rather than a single object, this refers to personal items associated with the 19th-century Algerian leader Emir Abdelkader, who led the resistance against French invasion before his surrender in 1847.

Held across French collections including at Musee de l Armee in Paris and Musee Conde in Chantilly, the objects include a steel sabre, pistol, ceremonial cloak and related belongings linked to Abdelkader’s life and leadership.

Algeria has included these effects on a formal restitution list submitted to French authorities in 2021, and they remain a sensitive part of the wider dispute over colonial-era holdings.

3. Dendera Zodiac, Egypt

The Dendero Zodiac is an ancient bas-relief that formed part of the ceiling of the Temple of Hathor in Upper Egypt and is now held at the Louvre in Paris.

Removed in the early 19th century, it has been part of the Louvre collection since 1822 and has become one of the most recognisable Egyptian antiquities in a French museum.

While there is no verified formal Egyptian state request for its return, the object has been repeatedly cited in public repatriation campaigns, including those led by archaeologist and former antiquities minister Zahi Hawass.

4. Mesha Stele, Jordan

Also known as the Moabite Stone, the Mesha Stele is a 9th-century BC basalt monument from present-day Jordan and is considered one of the most important inscriptions from the ancient Levant.

Discovered in 1868 by the Anglican missionary Frederick Augustus Klein at Dhiban, it was later shattered by the Bani Hamida tribe over an ownership dispute, before the fragments were recovered and reassembled in France.

In June 2014, non-governmental Mesha Centre for Studies and Human Rights delivered an official request for the stele’s return to the French embassy in Amman.

The Jordan Times reported in 2015 that French ambassador Caroline Dumas discussed the request with representatives and said she would convey their public appeal to the French government. No formal response has been reported.

5. The Seated Scribe, Egypt

One of the Louvre’s most famous Egyptian works, the Seated Scribe is a painted limestone sculpture from the Old Kingdom, dating back to circa 2600BC-2350BC. It is famed for its striking realism and remarkably preserved features.

Found at Saqqara in the 19th century by the French archaeologist Auguste Mariette, it is among the most celebrated masterpieces of the Louvre’s Department of Egyptian Antiquities.

While the Egyptian government has not included the Seated Scribe on any formal restitution lists, it has appeared in broader public discussion in Egyptian cultural circles around the recovery of major artefacts held abroad.

source/content: thenationalnews.com

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ALL PHOTOS ABOVE

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ALGERIA / EGYPT / JORDAN

QATAR : Sheikha Al Mayassa ranks second globally in 2025 ArtReview Power 100

H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums, has been ranked second globally in the 2025 ArtReview Power 100 list.

She first appeared on the Power 100 in 2011 at No. 90, quickly rising to No. 11 in 2012 before reaching the top position at No. 1 in 2013.

The Power 100 is compiled by a panel of around 30 individuals from across the globe, and from all parts of the artworld, who propose those people who have shaped the art that has emerged in their locality over the past year. The criteria for inclusion are that each person on the Power 100 has had an influence on the art being made and shown now; that they have been active in the last 12 months; and that their presence stretches beyond a local scene (while many act locally, the influence of that local action can reverberate internationally).

What emerges is a means of capturing an artworld that is not purely an economic system, or an aesthetic one, but a complex social system. Through this list, ArtReview gives a portrait of the network of relationships that shaped the art of 2025.

News & Image source: ArtReview Power 100

source/content: iloveqatar.net (headline edited)

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QATAR