Qatar has been leading efforts to promote the local and regional culture through various initiatives and exhibitions, most notably the International Book Fair.
Qatar launched the ‘Doha Arabic Book Award’ under the patronage of the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani in a bid to promote and honour Arab culture, state news agency (QNA) reported on Monday.
The award’s announcement took place in Doha on Sunday in a ceremony held at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, opening the nominations online from Tuesday until June 5.
The newly launched award seeks “to enrich the Arab library by encouraging individuals and institutions to present the best intellectual production,” QNA reported. The cultural initiative also aims to support publishing houses while developing Arabic books.
During its inaugural session on Sunday, the award honoured 10 winners, mainly specialists in the humanities and Islamic sciences. The winners came from diverse Arab backgrounds, including Qatar, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Morocco, among others.
Abdul Wahid Al Alami, Executive Director of the Doha Arabic Book Award, said the initiative is aimed at presenting “the best intellectual production in the social sciences and humanities” while “publicising serious studies.”
Hassan Al Naama, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation and International Understanding, described the award as “a generous initiative” from the Father Amir.
“Al Naama expressed hope that the award will allow book lovers to explore the spaces of creativity, restore the book to its rightful place, and support the Arab nation in catching up with the train of civilisation,” QNA reported.
Qatar has been leading efforts to promote the local and regional culture through various initiatives and exhibitions, most notably the International Book Fair.
Held under the slogan “With Reading We Rise”, last year’s event was designed to inspire residents to take up reading to boost knowledge and cultural awareness nationwide.
As an event that showcased the rich Arab culture, Al Mutanabbi Street hosted six bookstores from Baghdad, widely known as one of the most significant learning centres.
The Iraqi capital hosts the House of Wisdom, a library dating back to the early ninth century.
Also last year, Qatar hosted the Ramadan Book Fair with the participation of 79 publishing houses and bookstores from Doha and beyond.
The event hoped to provide an enriching learning and cultural experience during the holy month of Ramadan.
Ramadan is also the month in which God revealed the first verses of the Quran to Prophet Muhammad, in the seventh century.
Apart from local initiatives, hosting major events helped Qatar spotlight the Arab culture. This was seen during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the first to ever take place in an Arab and a Muslim country.
Qatar’s culture was widely celebrated by millions of foreigners at the time, as tourists flocked to Souq Waqif to purchase the Qatari traditional attire while donning it as they cheered for their teams at stadiums.
The classy traditional garment, known as the Bisht, gained particular global interest following the iconic World Cup final where Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani wrapped it around Lionel Messi after Argentina’s win.
Qatar then announced the bid to include the cloak and the traditional Ardha dance in World Heritage Day 2024 in April 2023.
In February, a four-day meeting took place to prepare the final draft file to include the Bisht on the UNESCO Cultural Heritage List. The bid to include the Bisht on the UNESCO list is led by Qatar along with nine Arab countries.
Events like the World Cup in Qatar created a sense of Arab pride for the region and the Arab diaspora.
An overwhelming majority of 87 percent of Arab youth surveyed in the 2023 ASDA’A BCW Arab Youth Survey had said the World Cup “strengthened Arab pride.” Arab youth also named Qatar among the top-five “model nations” to live in for the first time since 2014.