The Sheikh Zayed Book Award concluded the evaluation process for its twelfth edition this week, following the closure of the nomination phase which extended from early May until October 1st, 2017.

Commenting on the work of the reading panels which undertook the evaluations, Dr. Ali Bin Tamim, Secretary-General of Sheikh Zayed Book Award, said, "The reading panels’ work progressed efficiently with the support of our expert panel members, and we are confident that this edition will bring in a variety of high quality creative works that measure up to the award’s winning standards."

The award’s reading panels, headed by Dr. Bin Tamim, brought together a number of cultural and literary experts, including Dr. Khalil Al Shaikh from Jordan, a member of the Award Scientific Committee, and Dr. Ali Al Kaabi, from United Arab Emirates University.

The award is preparing for the 'long-list' announcement next week, based on the outcome of the reading panels’ recommendations which will be followed by judges’ assessment. Each category has three judges who independently evaluate the nominations and submit their reports to be evaluated by the Scientific Committee for the Award.

The short-listed nominees will then be finalised and remain confidential until they are signed off by the award’s Board of Trustees in preparation of the winners being revealed in the first quarter of 2018.

The award’s reading panels reviewed a total of 1,250 nominations across all categories. The ‘Literature’ and ‘Young Author’ categories are leading the field for the fifth year in a row with the highest number of participants, 344 and 307 submissions respectively.

The Sheikh Zayed Book Award's first edition was in 2007, intending to promote scholarship and creativity within Arab culture. It also carries cash prizes totalling AED7 million, with AED750,000 per winner.