The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) has announced the shortlists for the Kanz Al Jeel Award’s fifth edition (2026), featuring 18 works from eight countries across four categories. The winners will be selected from the shortlists at the upcoming meeting of the award’s Board of Trustees.

This year, the Award attracted submissions from 35 countries, including five participating for the first time — Afghanistan, Andorra, Armenia, Indonesia and Spain — reflecting its expanding reach and growing recognition across diverse cultural and literary communities.

Chaired by Prof. Dr Aysha Al Shamsi, the Kanz Al Jeel Award’s Higher Committee approved the shortlist. The selection included six works in the Arts category, four in Poetry Publications, five in Poetry Matching, and three in Studies and Research, shortlisted following a thorough review of judges' reports by the committee members, including poet Ali Al Sabaan, Dr Muntasir Al Hamdan, poet Obaid bin Qadlan Al Mazrouei, and Dr Abdullah bin Ghlais, with Waleed Alaeddin serving as rapporteur.

The shortlist for the Arts category included six artworks: ‘Reem Al Azayib’ by Muneera Naji from the UAE, ‘Dar Al Habayib’ by Bana Safar from Syria; ‘Ya Dhi'dhaa Al-Hibaayib’ by Musaab Al Doori from Iraq; ‘Maqam Al Habeeb’ by Somaia Azeez from Iraq; a painting titled ‘Ya Dhi'dhaa Al-Hibaayib’ by Abdelaziz Lourhraz [IFS1.1][RA1.2]from Morocco; and ‘Khitab Al Ashq’ by Mahmoud Shubar from Iraq.

The Poetry Matching category witnessed strong competition among participants, with the Committee selecting five poems: ‘Al Hakeem Al Sayib’ by Ahmed Khalifa Al Kaabi from the UAE, ‘Shawq Al Habayib’ by Ali Al Khawar from the UAE, ‘Dhi’dhaa Al-Hibaayib’ by Khaled Al Otaibi from Saudi Arabia, ‘Hab Al Hawa’ by Oudah Al Ghamdi from Saudi Arabia, and ‘Ya Hattan Al Sahayib’ by Majed Al Mutairi from Kuwait.

In the Poetic Publications category, four poetry collections made it onto the shortlist: ‘Baynouna’ by Hazza Ali Abualreesh from the UAE, published by Dar Hamaleel in 2025; ‘Journey of Emotions’ by Mahdi Al Atawi from Saudi Arabia, published by the Department of Culture of Sharjah, in 2025; ‘The City Alone Bears All the Reproach’ by poet Abdul Aziz Al Sadi from the Sultanate of Oman, published by Cultural Club Muscat in 2024; and ‘Sabbar’ by Hassan Al Hosani from the Sultanate of Oman, published by Dar Nather in 2026.

For the Studies and Research category, which plays an important role in bridging Nabati poetry’s rich oral heritage with scholarly research, documentation and preservation, the Committee selected three entries, including ‘Communicative Language in the Poetry of Sheikh Zayed’ by Dr Riyad bin Nasser Al Fraiji from Saudi Arabia, published by the Sharjah Institute for Heritage in 2025, and ‘A Glossary of Classical Words in the Colloquial Speech of the Emirati People’ by Surour Khalifa Al Kaabi from the UAE, published by Nabati Publishing in 2026.

The list also featured ‘Presence of “the Other” Between Classical and Nabati Poetry in the Arabian Gulf’ by Dr Ahmed Mubarak Salem from Bahrain, published by AlAyam Publishing in 2025.

The current edition of the Kanz Al Jeel Award has attracted a diverse range of creative talent across its categories, reflecting its growing international reach and the recognition it offers through financial rewards and wider support for their creative contributions. This is part of the strategic vision of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre to promote the status of the Arabic language and Emirati culture, encourage creativity, and publish Arabic and folk literature globally. Furthermore, it aligns with the vision of the UAE and the strategy of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi to preserve and sustain heritage, engage with the cultural scene, build creative capacities among community members, and enhance the emirate’s status as a global centre for cultural creativity.

The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre launched the Kanz Al Jeel Award in 2021 to celebrate Nabati poetry, preserve its rich cultural heritage and the values and traditions it embodies, and encourage scholarly research into this important literary tradition.

Inspired by the legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the award draws its name from one of Sheikh Zayed’s timeless poems to inspire future generations and strengthen their connection to their culture and heritage. The award features six categories: Poetry Matching, Arts, Studies and Research, Poetic Publications, Translation, and Creative Personality.