Sheikh Zayed Book Award Literature Award Winner

Dr Reem Bassiouney is an Egyptian author, as well as a professor and chair of the linguistics department at the American University in Cairo since 2013. She previously worked as an assistant professor of linguistics at Georgetown University (2007-2013) and as a lecturer of linguistics at the University of Utah (2005-2007), in addition to teaching at the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge (2002-2005), and serving as a member of the judging panels for the Excellence in Literature Award 2024 from the Supreme Council of Culture, as well as the International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) in 2023.

Dr Bassiouney holds a PhD in sociolinguistics from the University of Oxford (2002), a master’s degree in sociolinguistics from the University of Oxford (1998), and a bachelor’s degree in English from Alexandria University (1994).

Young Author Award Winner

Dr Houssem Eddine Chachia is a Tunisian academic specialising in modern history at Tunis University. He has served as a visiting professor at the University of Murcia in Spain and a visiting researcher at the Centre for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University in the United States.

His research focuses mainly on the Moriscos, on which he has published numerous studies and books in Arabic, Spanish, and English. His works include “Tunisia, the Mediterranean, and the Moriscos” (co-published with Tunisian Academic Press in 2023), a Spanish book titled “Between Two Banks: The Noble Morisco Path from Murcia to Tunisia” (co-published with Murcia Academic Press in 2017), and “The Sephardic and Moriscos: The Journey of Expulsion and Installation in the Maghreb” (Arab Institute for Studies and Publishing, 2015). He has also edited the book “Nasir Aldiyn Ealaa Alqawm Alkafirina” by the Morisco Ahmad ibn Qasim al-Hajari.

Translation Award Winner

Manouba). He retired in 2018 after 38 years in higher education.

Contribution to the Development of Nations award winner

Dr Khalifa Al Romaithi is recognised as a pioneer in the science of National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) in the UAE and was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Geospatial World Forum in April 2019 in Amsterdam as a “pioneer in the UAE and regional geospatial community”.

Dr Al Romaithi has authored more than 20 reports on policy and strategy, publishing over 22 technical research papers in specialised journals, seminars, and conferences. He has been a frequent speaker at a wide range of local and international conferences and seminars.

He holds scientific degrees in aerial survey sciences, in addition to a master’s degree in geographic information systems from the Faculty ITC of the University of Twente in the Netherlands, and a doctorate in geospatial from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM).

Arab Culture in Other Languages Award Winner

Frank Griffel is a Professor of Religious Studies at Yale University in the United States, teaching courses on the history of Islamic thought, Islamic theology, and Islamic philosophy.

Griffel studied philosophy, Arabic literature, and Islamic studies at universities in Göttingen (Germany), Damascus, Berlin, and London, and holds a PhD from the Freie Universität in Berlin.

He worked as a research fellow at the Orient Institute of the German Oriental Society in Beirut, Lebanon, before moving on to his position at Yale.

His published works cover Al-Ghazali’s contribution to the development of Islamic theology and the history of philosophy; Griffel published German translations of works by Al-Ghazali “Faysal al-Tafriqa” and Ibn Rushd, namely his “Fasl al-Maqal”.

He also focuses on contemporary Muslim thought, the development of the judgment of apostasy in Islam, and the formation of post-classical philosophy in Islam.Moreover, Griffel is working on a long-term project to develop a comprehensive history of Islamic theology that can be used as a textbook in college courses.

Publishing and Technology Award Winner

Bayt Elhekma for Creative Industries - China, based in Cairo and founded in 2013, aims to establish a cross-cultural dialogue between China and the Arab world. The institution is considered a platform for Chinese-Arab cultural cooperation in the fields of publishing, translation, cultural investment, education, and training, in addition to its activities in producing documentary films and animation, establishing Arabic digital information banks, e-book trade, and organizing international conferences and events.

Bayt Elhekma for Creative Industries - China has received numerous awards from various official and cultural entities in the countries where it operates, confirming its importance in the preservation and promotion of Chinese and Arab cultures.

Editing of Arabic Manuscripts Winner

Egyptian Author Dr Mustafa Said is a musician, composer, and performer, specialising in classical Arabic music, specifically Arabic Maqam music. He is a researcher in musicology, with most of his research focusing on the history of Arabic melody and its relationship with other cultures that adopt the Maqami music system as the basis for their melodies.

Dr Said founded the “Asil Ensemble” for classical Arabic music and has numerous musical releases, articles, and research publications.

He has participated in several leading musical forums as a composer, performer, and singer, in addition to lecturing at various conferences.