Kanz Al Jeel is an award launched by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) to honour Nabati poetry pieces, folklore studies, and research by scholars and creators whose works represent the heritage of Nabati poetry and its inherent values.
The award draws its name from one of Sheikh Zayed’s renowned works underlining his great legacy in the world of poetry and creativity. The award also aims to promote creativity and critical thinking in order to create a poetic, critical, and artistic movement that will make Sheikh Zayed’s creative experience a focal point for new forms of creativity.
The ‘Kanz al Jeel’ Award features six different categories, with a total prize pool of AED1.5 million. These include:
Awarded to the poem that most closely matches one of Sheikh Zayed’s poems in rhythm and rhyme.
Recognizes Nabati poetry books that are authentic in both form and content and constitute a notable addition to this poetic field.
Considers works of art that use visual tools to read, perform, and embody Sheikh Zayed’s poetry and Nabati poetry in general. These include Arabic calligraphy, plastic art, short films, or songs.
Is granted to research studies on Nabati poetry which scientifically address the methods, content and lexicon of this poetry.
Considers translations of Sheikh Zayed’s poetry into living languages, or works that have provided a great service in translating Arabic poetry into other languages.
Is granted to a candidate who has made outstanding and effective creative contributions to Nabati poetry and affiliated studies, as well as in music, singing, drawing and Arabic calligraphy.
