Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Ruler's Representative in Al Dhafra Region, Sheikh Rashid bin Hamdan bin Zayed has honoured the winners of the second edition of the Sard Al Thahab Award 2024. The ceremony, organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, took place at Al Dhafra Fort and celebrated the pioneers of traditional storytelling, storytellers and creators in narrative and illustrated storytelling.
Sheikh Rashid bin Hamdan bin Zayed honoured the winners of the 2024 Sard Al Thahab Award in its various categories - Unpublished Short Stories: Iraqi writer and novelist Yas Al-Fahdawi won first place for his story "Rooms with People Running Underneath Them", Published Short Stories: Sudanese writer and novelist Abdulrahman Abbas won first place for his story "The Last Storyteller in This Time", Popular Narratives: Bahraini academic Dr Dheya Abdulla Khamis AlKaabi won first place for her work "Bahraini Folk Tales: One Thousand and One Tales", Illustrated Story: Iraqi artist Mahmoud Shubber won for his painting "Antara and Abla", Narrators: Emirati storyteller Obeid bin Sandal won first place in recognition of his status as one of the prominent storytellers and his pioneering efforts in the cultural movement in the country, and Emirati Narration: American academic and researcher Roy Casagranda won first place for his efforts to highlight the values of reviving civilisation, cultural exchange, and civilisational communication, and for his in-depth study of the transfer of knowledge from Arab civilisation to other civilisations. His writings, lectures and research are based on the values upheld by the Award, which promote tolerance and coexistence among religions, nations and peoples.
The award ceremony was attended by His Excellency Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi, His Excellency Saood Abdulaziz Al Hosani, Undersecretary of the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi, His Excellency Dr Ali bin Tamim, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, His Excellency Ali Obaid Al Hameli, Chairman of the Sard Al Thahab Award Supreme Committee, and His Excellency Nasser Mohammed Al Mansouri, Undersecretary of the Ruler’s Representative Court in Al Dhafra Region.
His Excellency Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi, said: "This Award is key to our mission to celebrate creators and support outstanding narrative works, contributing to the vibrancy of our cultural ecosystem. Storytelling is an important element of the cultural heritage of the UAE and the Arab world, and Sard Al Thahab both helps preserve this art form and brings it to a new generation, fostering pride in our cultural identity".
His Excellency Dr Ali bin Tamim, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, said: "The award ceremony concludes an outstanding phase of the innovative Sard Al Thahab Award and marks the beginning of a new phase of excellence that the Award will witness in its upcoming editions under the generous and continuous patronage of cultural initiatives. In particular, the Award has touched the Arab sentiment by promoting the art of popular storytelling and has quickly become an inspiration for the pioneers of this authentic art and a true platform for celebrating their work. This is evidenced by the large number of submissions the Award has received in its various categories, more than 1,213 works".
His Excellency Ali Obaid Al Hameli, Chairman of the Award's Supreme Committee, congratulated the winners of the second edition. His Excellency highlighted the significant role of the Award, whose name was inspired by the thought of the late founding father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may his soul rest in peace.
His Excellency Al Hameli described the Award as a unique contribution to cultural and intellectual creativity by celebrating the art of popular storytelling. It reflects Abu Dhabi's and the UAE's leadership in culture, their embrace of creativity and knowledge, and their initiatives to preserve and revive Arab heritage as a compass and pillar for future generations.
The Sard Al Thahab Award is an annual award launched in 2022 by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre to promote Arabic culture, support the presence of the Arabic language and revive it. The Award aims to honour the narrators of biographies, literature and folk tales locally, Arabically and globally, and to highlight the art of Emirati folk and narrative storytelling and inspiring productions in this field. The Award also seeks to revive the art of folk storytelling, tales and folk epics, which are an essential part of Arab culture, and express them in a contemporary artistic context that highlights the aspects of excellence, beauty and wisdom of our early ancestors. It supports the transmission of the historical message of this art and its documentation for future generations.
The Award saw significant growth in its current edition, with the number of participating works reaching 1,213 from 34 countries, including 19 Arab countries, an increase of 23 per cent compared to its first edition, which saw participation from 983 countries.
