The 11th annual Sheikh Zayed Book Award Ceremony was held last night, Sunday, in the presence of dignitaries and prominent figures to honour the 2017 winners.

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, the ceremony was attended by H.H. Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, who presented the prizes to the eight winners, accompanied by Dr. Ali bin Tamim, Secretary-General of the Sheikh Zayed Book Awards.

During the ceremony, the Moroccan historian and scholar Abdallah Laroui received the accolade of Cultural Personality of the Year 2017 Award from H.H. Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, which honours prominent figures for their distinguished contributions to the advancement of Arab culture, and for works that call for tolerance and promote peaceful coexistence.

Seven other winners were celebrated at the ceremony held at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, ADNEC, on the sidelines of the 27th Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, and were issued with a certificate of merit and a Gold Medal in addition to the award.

The 2017 winners were selected following extensive discussions between the Awards’ Board of Trustees and Scientific Committee, with the results submitted by dedicated judging panels across the award’s categories.

The Sheikh Zayed Book award is an independent cultural award administered by Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority, TCA Abu Dhabi, launched in 2007 in memory of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Ruler of Abu Dhabi and President of UAE for more than 30 years.

The awards honour his pioneering role in promoting national unity and the country’s development. It is presented every year to outstanding Arab writers, intellectuals, publishers as well as young talents whose writings and translations in the humanities have enriched Arab cultural, literary and social life.