Al Owais Prize

The Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Cultural Awards (or Al Owais Awards) are a bi-annual prize for artistic and cultural achievement in the Arab world. It is administered by the Sultan Bin Al Owais Cultural Foundation of the United Arab Emirates. The award was established by the late Emirati businessman and philanthropist Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais. The awards were first given out in 1988-89.

The Al Owais Cultural Awards are given in four categories: Poetry, Novels, Criticism and Studies. Winners in each category receive a prize of US$100,000 for a total of US$400,000 making it one of the richest literary prizes in the world. A fifth award called the Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais Award for Scientific and Cultural Achievement has different rules and criteria, with a prize amount of US$100,000.

In 2004, the poetry prize was given to Iraqi poet Saadi Youssef but was controversially withdrawn after he criticized UAE ruler Sheikh Zayed bin al-Nahiyan.

List of winners:

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