Hamdan bin Zayed patronage: Sard Al Thahab Award 2024 winners announced

Photo Abu Dhabi Media Office

His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who represents the ruler in Al Dhafra Region, supported the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) in announcing the winners of the Sard Al Thahab Award. This award celebrates the authors of stories and cultural works from the UAE and other Arab countries.

This year, the award received 1,213 entries from 34 countries, including 19 Arab countries. This is 23% more than last year’s number of 983 entries.

His Excellency Saood Abdulaziz Al Hosani from the Department of Culture and Tourism said: “Storytelling has always been important in our history. This award helps celebrate these stories and their authors. This year’s entries were very impressive and show how much value these traditions bring. Supporting this award keeps these stories alive for future generations.”

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His Excellency Dr. Ali bin Tamim, the head of ALC, said: “Storytelling is an important part of Arab culture. Many people are interested in creating stories, and this award gives them the opportunity to share their work. It also helps to support the Arabic language and strengthen the local cultural community.”

Ali Obaid Al Hameli, the head of the judging committee, explained: “Old stories and folk tales are very important because they connect us with our history. This year’s entries showed a lot of creativity. The winners were chosen based on fairness and how well they followed the spirit of traditional storytelling.”

In the Short Story Category for Unpublished Stories, Yas AlFahdawi, from Iraq, won first place for his story Rooms with People Running Underneath Them. His story was creative and showed a modern way of looking at important social issues through storytelling.

In the Short Story Category for Published Stories, Abdulrahman Abbas, from Sudan, won first place for his story The Last Storyteller in This Time. His story used old folk tales to ask big questions about life, death, and emotions. His creative writing style and use of imagination stood out.

In the Popular Narratives Category, Dr. Dheya Abdulla Khamis AlKaabi, from Bahrain, won first place for her book Bahraini Folk Tales: One Thousand and One Tales. Her book is a collection of traditional stories from Bahrain and was created using careful research. It preserves these stories so they can be shared with the future generations.

In the Illustrated Story Category, Mahmood Shubbar, from Iraq, won first place for his artwork Antara and Abla. His artwork mixes old stories with modern art. It draws from traditional designs but uses new techniques and creative ideas to make the story come alive in a new way.

In the Narrators Category, Obeid bin Sandal, from the UAE, won first place for his important role in preserving traditional stories and cultural history. He is one of the UAE’s most famous storytellers. He has spent his life studying and sharing folk stories, poetry, and local traditions. He has also contributed to Emirati theater and has inspired many young people to learn about these traditions.

In the Emirati Narration Category, Roy Casagranda, from the USA, won first place for his efforts to promote understanding and peace between cultures. His research and writings focus on sharing Arab history and values with other parts of the world.

The winners will be honored at a special awards ceremony at Al Dhafra Fort in December. The Sard Al Thahab Award is an important event that celebrates traditional stories and culture. It also helps share these stories with young people and keeps them alive for future generations.