Sheikh Hamad Translation Award Receives 256 Nominations from 33 Countries

The Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation and International Understanding has received 256 nominations from 33 countries for its 12th edition, highlighting the award’s expanding global reach and the growing diversity of participants, languages and translation directions.

Individual Books Category Leads Nominations

Of the total nominations, 176 were submitted in the individual books category, while 80 nominations were received in the achievement category.

Individual accounts represented 75 percent of all nominations, compared with 25 percent submitted through institutional accounts.

Participants Represent 33 Countries

The nominations came from 16 Arab and 17 non-Arab countries. Arab countries accounted for 59.8 percent of the nominations, while non-Arab countries represented 40.2 percent.

Egypt recorded the highest number of nominations, followed by Syria, China, Saudi Arabia and Morocco.

Men accounted for 78 percent of nominations, while women represented 22 percent.

Five Language Pairs Featured

The nominations covered five language pairs and 10 translation directions, involving English, Chinese, Italian, Azerbaijani and Fula.

Translations into Arabic represented 66 percent of nominations, while translations from Arabic into other languages accounted for the remaining 34 percent.

Award Highlights Growing International Reach

Award media official Abdulrahman Al Marri said the nomination figures demonstrate the award’s expanding international presence and its ability to reach diverse cultural and linguistic communities.

He noted that the participation of both Arab and non-Arab countries highlights the award’s role in building bridges between Arab culture and cultures around the world.

Translation Helps Connect Cultures

Al Marri also highlighted the strong share of translations into Arabic, saying it reflects the continued importance of bringing global intellectual, literary and knowledge-based works to Arab readers.

At the same time, translations from Arabic help introduce Arab culture, literature and intellectual contributions to international audiences.

Award Promotes Cultural and Knowledge Exchange

The Sheikh Hamad Award aims not only to recognise outstanding translators and translated works but also to support translation, encourage cultural and knowledge exchange, and strengthen understanding between peoples and cultures.

Through its international participation, the award continues to promote translation as an important tool for cultural dialogue, communication and rapprochement among communities worldwide.