The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Center opens the door for nominations for the fourth session of the award "List of gold"
ABU DHABI, 1st April, 2026 – The Abu Dhabi Center for the Arabic Language, affiliated with the Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi, announced the opening of nominations for the fourth cycle of the “Sard of Gold” Award, which will continue until June 15, 2026, as part of its ongoing efforts to enhance the presence of the Arabic language, support the cultural movement, and consolidate Abu Dhabi’s position as a global center for creativity and knowledge.
The Center called on writers of short stories and those interested in the arts of narrative from various parts of the world to submit their works in accordance with the standards and conditions approved for each branch, which are stated on its official website, while emphasizing the necessity of fulfilling the technical and procedural requirements in a way that guarantees the quality of the entries and reflects the level of creativity targeted by the award.
Through its six branches, the award aims to honor narrators of biographies and popular narrations, and to support the arts of storytelling that shed light on Emirati and Arab heritage in creative ways. The “Short Story” branch revolves around two sections, the first focusing on “unpublished narrative works” to celebrate new narrative creations that are characterized by innovation and the ability to add quality to this art.
The second section focuses on “published narrative works,” seeking to reproduce the popular heritage in an artistic style, in addition to the “Popular Narratives” branch of tales and studies that analyze popular narratives and their role in shaping cultural identity, the “Narratives” branch, which honors narrators of popular biographies locally and in the Arab world, and the “Visual Narrative” branch of works that combine literary text and artistic images.
The award also includes the “Emirati Narrative” section, and is awarded to real or legal figures or distinguished works in Arabic and other languages that enhance the Emirati narrative and consolidate the values from which the thought of the founders and leaders of the UAE began, which are the values of resuming civilization, dialogue, tolerance, moderation and coexistence among people.
Those wishing to nominate can choose the appropriate branch for their work, fill out the nomination form available on the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre’s website, and email sardalthahab@dctabudhabi.ae for any inquiries, provided that the application is attached, as an exception to the current session, with electronic “PDF” copies of the nominated works, in addition to a CV, academic and creative CV, a copy of the passport, and a personal photo.
The nomination criteria include that the submitted works must be written in Arabic, with the exception of the “Emirati Narrative” branch, which receives works in other languages. The participant is also allowed to submit only one work for each session, provided that the work is not a winner of another award in the same year, and previous works can be re-nominated after meeting the specified conditions.
The award receives nominations in all its branches from individuals, cultural and academic institutions, while nominations for the “Emirati Narrative” branch are made through academic, research and cultural institutions and from the award’s Supreme Committee. The award is not granted to a work that has previously won a major Arab or foreign award, with the necessity of adhering to the conditions contained in the “nomination form” in each branch. It is possible to re-nominate for the award with the same work, with the need to fulfill the time period requirement and submit an application for that.
The award continues its mission of supporting the arts of storytelling in its various forms, and honoring narrators of biographies and popular narrations, in a way that contributes to reviving the art of folk tales and enhancing its presence among new generations, in addition to highlighting the role of popular narratives in shaping collective memory and consolidating cultural identity, in line with the UAE’s trends in preserving heritage and promoting cultural and creative industries.
Since its launch in 2023, the award has witnessed an increasing growth in the volume of participation and interaction. In its previous sessions, it attracted wide participation from 37 countries around the world, which reflects its growing status as a regional and global platform that celebrates the arts of narrative and supports its sustainability in light of the rapid cultural transformations.
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