The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), part of the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), announced the shortlists for the fourth edition of the Kanz Al Jeel Award.
The award was launched the ALC to celebrate outstanding works of Nabati poetry, revive the heritage and authentic values embedded in this art form, and promote folk studies and related research.
The Award’s Higher Committee, chaired by Ali Obaid Al Hameli, Emirati writer and media professional, approved a list of 17 nominated works from nine Arab and foreign countries across four main categories. This selection process will pave the way for the winners of the fourth edition to be chosen at the upcoming meeting of the Board of Trustees.
Six works were selected in the Arts category, three in Poetic Publications, five in Poetry Matching, and three in Studies and Research. The Translation category was withheld this year following a review of the judges’ reports by Higher Committee members, namely, Dr. Hamda Al Hammadi, Director of the Arabic Language and Literature Department at the Ministry of Culture; Dr. Shakir Noori, prominent media professional and novelist; poet Obaid bin Qadlan Al Mazrouei; and Dr Abdullah Ghliss, author and leading literary and academic figure in the Gulf region, with writer and researcher Waleed Alaaeldin serving as rapporteur.
The shortlist for the Arts category included six artworks: ‘Al Najla’ by Emirati artist Muneera Naji; ‘Treasure of the Homeland’ by Iraqi/British artist Ahmad Hassan DhiaelDeen; ‘Horses in the Verses of Poetry’ by Mohammed Mandi from the UAE; ‘Li Sart Min Al Ain Saraya’ by Hayder Ali Al Shadidi from Iraq; ‘Min Adeeb Fatin’ by Algerian artist Ridha Djemai; and ‘Tears Streamed From My Eyes’ by Nagat Soliman from Egypt.
In the Poetic Publications category shortlist, three poetry collections were selected: ‘Madqooq Al Wisham’ by Abdulla Ali AlShamsi from the UAE, published by the Sharjah Department of Culture in 2025; ‘Ghaymat Shawq’ by Hanadi AlJawder from Bahrain, also published by the Sharjah Department of Culture in 2025; and ‘Wa Abqa Jabal’ by Kuwaiti poet Hamed Zaid, published by Platinum Book Publishing in 2025.
Meanwhile, the Poetry Matching category features five shortlisted poems: ‘Al Haya’ by Ahmed Saeed Al Mansoori from the UAE; ‘Al Mahabba Lughz’ (Love Is a Mystery) by Hamad Al Mutairi from Kuwait; ‘Hayy Tari Tayyib Al Haya’ by Talal Al Harbi from the Sultanate of Oman; ‘Al Sharta’ by Hamad Al Balooshi from the UAE; and ‘Sada Al Noor’ by Omani poet Ali Al Harthi.
Furthermore, the Committee selected three books in the Studies and Research category: ‘Poets of the 11th Century’ by Saad Abdullah Al Otaibi from Saudi Arabia; ‘Presence of the Other Between Classical and Nabati Poetry in the Arabian Gulf’ by Dr. Ahmed Mubarak Salem from Bahrain; and ‘Zayed: Poetic Worlds Bound by the Horizon – A Trilogy of Love, Palm, and Desert’ by author Ali Abualreesh Al Mansoori from the UAE.
This year, the Kanz Al Jeel Award received a total of 830 entries across its six categories, submitted from 35 countries, including 19 Arab nations. This marks a 38% growth from the 601 nominations received in the previous edition, highlighting the growing confidence in the Award and its advanced standing among specialised literary awards, further establishing the strong presence of Emirati culture in the world of Nabati poetry, both regionally and internationally.
The shortlisted nominees come from nine countries: Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, and the United Kingdom. The works were selected based on their adherence to the Award’s criteria, their connection to the legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Founding Father of the UAE, and their ability to inspire future generations and strengthen their bond with their culture and heritage, especially as the Award’s name is inspired by one of Sheikh Zayed’s timeless poems.
