The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) has announced the lineup of the Higher Committee of the third cycle of the Kanz Al Jeel Award, which includes creative minds and renowned intellectual, literary, and academic figures.

The Higher Committee is chaired by His Excellency Abdulla Majed Al Ali, Director General of the National Library and Archives, and brings together Emirati poet Obaid bin Qadlan Al Mazrouei, Kuwaiti researcher Dr Abdullah Ghliss, Prof Dr Aysha Alshamsi, Emirati academic, critic, and poet, and Egyptian composer, artist, and researcher Hassan Zaki.

HE Abdulla Majed Al Ali said: “I thank the entire team behind the distinguished Kanz Al Jeel award. I am confident that this award will become a beacon of creativity and excellence, spotlighting talented poets, and strengthening the literary heritage of Nabati poetry. We urge all poets and Nabati poetry enthusiasts to actively participate in the award and hope it will be a starting point towards generating greater interest in this rich literary heritage, while supporting poetic creativity in the region”.

Kanz Al Jeel is an annual award, launched by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) in 2021 to honour Nabati poetic works, folk studies, and research into fields related to Nabati poetry. The accolade is granted to scholars and creators who have presented notable works that spotlight the heritage connected to Nabati poetry and its authentic values. Drawing its name from a poem by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Founding Father of the UAE, the Award strives to advance poetry and its role as a mirror of society, underlining the position it holds in the Emirati and Arab collective consciousness.

Kanz Al Jeel accepts submissions across six categories, starting with “Poetry Matching”, which is granted to a poem distinguished by its ability to match a specific poem by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Meanwhile, the “Creative Personality” category recognises an individual or institution that has made significant and impactful contributions to Nabati poetry and related studies, as well as in the fields of music, singing, painting, and Arabic calligraphy.

In the “Arts” category, the Award is given to an artwork that strives to read, perform, and embody Sheikh Zayed’s poetry and Nabati poetry, using a variety of tools, such as Arabic calligraphy or visual arts. The “Studies and Research” category, meanwhile, awards published studies on Nabati poetry that examine the styles, content, and lexicon of this poetry, using a serious and scientific approach.

The “Poetic Publications” category awards a Nabati poetry collection that is original in form and content, while the “Translation” category is reserved for poems and verses of Sheikh Zayed’s poetry that have been translated into other languages. The “Translation” category may alternatively honour a work that has made a significant contribution towards the translation of Arabic poetry into other languages.