Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi honors the winners of the second session of the Shams Award for Arabic Content

SHARJAH, 25 JANUARY / WAM / His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Deputy Ruler of Sharjah and Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council, this Sunday evening, honored the winners of the second session of the Shams Award for Arabic Content, organized by Sharjah Media City “Shams”, in celebration of Arab content makers and innovators, and in recognition of the distinguished media works that contributed to the development of the Arab media scene, at the House of Wisdom.

His Highness presented the winners with the award shield in its various categories, as Saeed Jassim from the Emirates won the first place award for the Best Unexecuted Film Scenario category, while Lynn Zayat from the Syrian Republic won the first place award for the Best Unexecuted Series Script category, while Khalifa Al Saeedi from the Emirates won the Best Short Film award, and Ahmed Al Habsi from the Emirates came first in the Best Artificial Intelligence Video category.

His Highness the Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council also honored the “I Have a Question” podcast, presented by Muhammad Qais from Lebanon, with the first place award in the Best Podcast category, while Hassan Thamer from the Republic of Iraq won the Best Content Creator award, while actress Maram Ali won the Best Actress award in 2025, and actor Majed Al Masry won the Best Actor award in 2025.

His Highness honored the child, Melia Hassan, with a special honor in recognition of her inspiring career, her courage, her profound humanitarian impact, and her role in promoting the culture of acceptance, strength, and determination in the world of Arabic content. His Highness also honored the members of the jury, sponsors, and partners, wishing them more achievements and the provision of purposeful and distinctive content that contributes to conveying positive messages to the world.

The ceremony began with a visual material about the Shams Award for Arabic Content, one of the initiatives launched by Sharjah Media City “Shams”, which aims to support Arab talent and encourage the production of meaningful content that reflects Arab cultural values ​​and contributes to enhancing the presence of Arabic content at the regional and international levels, thus consolidating the position of the Emirate of Sharjah as a leading center for culture, media and creative industries.

Then, Rashid Abdullah Al-Obed, Director General of Sharjah Media City (Shams), gave a speech in which he stressed that the Shams Award for Arabic Content marked the beginning of a new path full of ambition and work, confirming from its first day that the vision is clear, and that investing in creativity is an investment in the future.

Al-Obed pointed out that the award, since its inception, has continued to maintain its goals and create a real space for excellence, stressing the keenness in the second session of the award to give the opportunity to a wider segment of creators, by adding the category of best screenplay for a film and series, best video with artificial intelligence, best actor and best actress to be part of this success.

The Director General of Sharjah Media City confirmed that “Shams” did not stop achieving achievements, but rather witnessed a qualitative expansion that reflects the ambition of the institution, and one of the most prominent of these steps is the launch of the Shams Studios project, which represents an important shift in supporting content makers, empowering talents, and providing a professional environment for media and creative production. “Shams” also signed many agreements with local departments and institutions in a step that reflects the spirit of partnership and integration, and opens broader horizons for joint cooperation, and in response to the rapid development it is witnessing.

At the end of his speech, Al-Obed appreciated the efforts and support of the partner sponsors, and their belief in the message of Sharjah Media City “Shams”, calling on them to be partners and contributors to Shams’s achievements and development, and to create the media future together.

The ceremony included the first performance of the song “Here is Sharjah”, in cooperation with Sharjah Radio, affiliated with the Sharjah Broadcasting and Television Authority, with the voice of artists Salah Al Zadjali and Fayez Al Saeed. Its words and melodies expressed Sharjah’s cultural and humanitarian status, and embodied the spirit of belonging and pride in national identity, amid great interaction from the audience who shared the artists’ feelings of pride and joy in this new artistic work.

In its second session, the award witnessed a wide turnout from creators and content makers from various Arab countries, as the number of entries reached 1,210 entries distributed over 8 main categories, which included short films, podcasts, content produced with artificial intelligence techniques, and unimplemented scenarios, in addition to the categories of best actor and best actress, in an indicator that reflects the diversity of the Arab creative scene and the wide circle of interaction with the award.

The ceremony was attended, alongside His Highness, by: Mohammed Abdullah, CEO of Sharjah Islamic Bank, Mohammed Hassan Khalaf, Director General of the Sharjah Radio and Television Authority, Tariq Saeed Allay, Director General of the Sharjah Government Media Office, Hassan Yaqoub Al Mansouri, Secretary General of the Sharjah Media Council, Rashid Abdullah Al Oubad, Director General of Sharjah Media City “Shams”, Salem Ali Al Ghaithi, Director of the Sharjah Radio and Television Authority, and a number of officials, media professionals and participants in the award.

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