The Al Owais Prize is a bi-annual prize for artistic and cultural achievement in the Arab world

Arab world

The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...

. It is administered by the Sultan Bin Al Owais Cultural Foundation of the UAE. The award was established by the Emirati prince Sultan Bin Ali Al Owais. The awards were first given out in 1988-89.

In 2004, the poetry prize was given to Iraqi poet Saadi Youssef

Saadi Youssef

Saadi Yousef is an Iraqi author, poet, journalist, publisher, and political activist. He has published thirty volumes of poetry and seven books of prose.-Life:Saadi Yousef studied Arabic literature in Baghdad...

 but was controversially withdrawn after he criticized UAE ruler Sheikh Zayed bin al-Nahiyan.

1988-1989

• Poetry: Fadwa Touqan
• Stories, Novels & Drama: Sa’ad Allah Wanous, Hanna Mena
• Criticism & Literature Studies: Jabra Ebrahim Jabra, Ali Jawad Al Taher

1990-1991

• Stories, Novels & Drama: Alfred Farag
  Alfred Farag
  Alfred Farag  – 4 December 2005 ) was one of the eminentEgyptian playwrights of the post 1952 Revolution period. He obtained his BA in English Literature from the Faculty of Arts, Alexandria University in 1949. He took up the teaching career till 1955 when he abandoned it for a post in the...
  
  , Abdul Rahman Mouneef
• Criticism & Literature Studies: Dr. Ehssan Abbas
• Human & Future Studies: Zaki Nageeb Mahmood, Fuad Zacharia
• Cultural & Scientific Achievments: Mohammad Mahdi Al Jawaheri

1992-1993

• Poetry: Abdullah Al Baraddouni
• Stories, Novels & Drama: Sulaiman Fayyad, Sun-Allah Ebrahim
• Criticism & Literature Studies: Dr. Yumna Al Eid, Farooq Abdul Qader
• Human & Future Studies: Dr. Abdullah Abdul Dayem
• Cultural & Scientific Achievments: Nizar Qabbani
  Nizar Qabbani
  Nizar Tawfiq Qabbani was a Syrian diplomat, poet and publisher. His poetic style combines simplicity and elegance in exploring themes of love, eroticism, feminism, religion, and Arab nationalism...
  
  

1994-1995

• Poetry: Abdul Wahhab Al Bayati
• Stories, Novels & Drama: Edward Al Kharrat
• Criticism & Literature Studies: Dr. Nasser Al deen Al Assad
• Human & Future Studies: Dr. Awatef Abdul Rahman, Mohammed Ghanem Al Rumaihi
• Cultural & Scientific Achievments: Sh. Hamad Al Jasser

1996-1997

• Poetry: Ahmed Abdul Mutti Hijazi, Ebrahim Nassrullah
• Stories, Novels & Drama: Jamal Al Ghitani, Waleed Ekhlassi
• Criticism & Literature Studies: Jaber Assfour, Shukri Ayyad
• Human & Future Studies: Dr. Mohammed Jaber Al Anssari, Fahmi Jada’an, Dr. Mohammed Jaber Al Anssari
• Cultural & Scientific Achievments: Edward Saeed

1998-1999

• Poetry: Mohammed Afifi Mattar
• Stories, Novels & Drama: Fuad Al Takarli
• Criticism & Literature Studies: Abdullah Al Ghozami
• Human & Future Studies: Saleh Ahmad Al Ali, Nasseef Nassar
• Cultural & Scientific Achievments: Yousef Al Qaradhawi

2000-2001

• Poetry: Qassim Haddad
  Qassim Haddad
  Qassim Haddad is a Bahraini poet, particularly notable within the Arab world. He published his first collection in 1970 and has since published more than 16 books, including a book of poetry and paintings Majnun Laila, and a book of poetry in collaboration with Saudi photographer Saleh al-Azzaz...
  
  
• Stories, Novels & Drama: Zakaria Tamir, Mohammad Al Bassati
• Criticism & Literature Studies: Mohsin Jassim Al Mosawi
• Human & Future Studies: Dr Abdul Wahab Al Maseeri
• Cultural & Scientific Achievments: Al Arabi Magazine

2002-2003

• Poetry: Hasab Al Sheikh Ja’afar
• Stories, Novels & Drama: Mohammad Khodair
• Criticism & Literature Studies: Mustafa Abdou Nassif
• Human & Future Studies: Mahmoud Ameen Al A’lem
• Cultural & Scientific Achievments: Mahmoud Darwish
  Mahmoud Darwish
  Mahmoud Darwish was a Palestinian poet and author who won numerous awards for his literary output and was regarded as the Palestinian national poet...
  
  , Adunis

2004-2005

• Poetry: Mohammed Al Maghout
• Stories, Novels & Drama: Iz Aldin Al Madani
• Criticism & Literature Studies: Mohammed Meftah
• Human & Future Studies: Antoon Zahlan
• Cultural & Scientific Achievments: Tharwat Okasha, D.Tharwat Okasha

2006-2007

• Poetry: Mohammed Bennis
  Mohammed Bennis
  Mohammed Bennis is a Moroccan poet and one of the most important poets of the Modern Arabic Poetry. He was born in Fez, Morocco , in 1948 .He contributes energetically to the modern Arabic poetry and he enjoys since the seventies , a particular status in the Arab culture. Muhsin J...
  
  
• Stories Novels & Drama: Yousef el-Sharoni, Elias Khoury
• Criticism & Literature Studies: Abdelfattah Kilito
  Abdelfattah Kilito
  Abdelfattah Kilito is a well known Moroccan writer. He was born in Rabat in 1945. He is the author of several books in Arabic and in French. He has also written articles for magazines like Poétique and Studia Islamica...
  
  
• Human & Future Studies: Hisham D'jait
• Cultural & Scientific Achievments: JUMA AL MAJID, Dr. Salma Al Khadra Al Jayyousi

2008-2009

• Poetry: Dr Abdullaziz AlMaqaleh
• Stories, Novels & Drama: El Taher Wattar
• Criticism & Literature Studies: Dr Abdul Salam Misaddi
• Human & Future Studies: Dr Galal Amin
• Cultural & Scientific Achievments: Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak