Saudi writer among six authors shortlisted for International Prize for Arabic Fiction

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The International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) judging panel: Fleur Montanaro, Mohamed Shoair, Sonia Nimr, Frantisek Ondras and Yasir Suleiman. (Supplied)
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Updated 14 February 2024
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Saudi writer among six authors shortlisted for International Prize for Arabic Fiction

  • The list also includes writers from Palestine, Egypt, Syria and Morocco; the winner will be revealed on at an event on April 28
  • One of the shorlisted authors, Palestinian Basim Khandaqji, has been locked up in an Israeli jail since 2004 

RIYADH: Six novels have been shortlisted for the 2024 International Prize for Arabic Fiction, the winner of which will be revealed during a ceremony on April 28 in Abu Dhabi.

The chosen works are: “Bahbel: Makkah Multiverse 1945-2009” by Saudi author Raja Alem; “Gambling on the Honor of Lady Mitsy” by Ahmed Al-Morsi from Egypt; “The Seventh Heaven of Jerusalem” by Palestinian writer Osama Al-Eissa; “A Mask, the Color of the Sky” by Basim Khandaqji, who is also Palestinian; “Suleima’s Ring” by Rima Bali from Syria; and “The Mosaicist” by Moroccan author Eissa Nasiri.

Nabil Suleiman, chairperson of the 2024 judging panel, announced the nominated titles in Riyadh on Wednesday. He was joined by other members of the jury, including: Hammour Ziada, a Sudanese writer and journalist; Sonia Nimr, a Palestinian writer, researcher and academic; Frantisek Ondras, a Czech academic and translator; Mohammed Shoair, an Egyptian critic and journalist; Yasir Suleiman, the chair of the event’s board of trustees; and Fleur Montanaro, the prize’s administrator. The competition is organized in collaboration with the Literature, Publishing and Translation Commission.

“This is the first time in the history of the prize that a novel from (literally) behind the walls of an Israeli jail reaches out to readers on the other side,” said Yasir Suleiman.

He was referring to Basim Khandaqji, who was imprisoned in 2004 at the age of 21. According to a biography of the writer on the contest’s website, while in jail he registered with Al-Quds University and completed a course in political science, which included a thesis on Israeli studies.

In an interview with the organizers of the competition last month, the author’s brother, Youssef, said: “He based his (shortlisted) novel on his reading of research and studies about Palestinian history, including eyewitness accounts of some of the prisoners inside and outside prisons, especially the Palestinians living inside Israel.

“He is currently a prisoner inside the Israeli colonial occupier prisons, and there has been no means of communicating with him for the past four months. We hope and pray that he will be released as soon as possible.”

Yasir Suleiman said the shortlisted works “dig deep into the past to excavate the present” and cover “a variety of narratives of places, times and demography.” The books explore diverse themes, he added, including “the bond of the ancient past, with its intertwined paths, with a present crashing on its beaches with grinding waves of fragmentation, spaces of vanishing hopes in worlds that overstate what has come together.”

Nabil Suleiman said: “The narratives on this list are characterized by in-depth fictional digging in history, in such a way that the recent and distant past intertwine with the present and the future, and in which various civilizations, human creations and conflicts interact as well.”

The specific themes of the novels include the experience of war, breakdown of the family, questions of identity, oppression, cruelty, and the individual and collective human longing for freedom and justice. he added.

“Their rich creative worlds are not limited to their localities but span the globe, highlighting common struggles,” he said. “Their visions and aesthetic expressions are diverse, tinged with self-awareness and imaginative verve.”

Shoair, the judging panel member, told Arab News that Arabic novels are experiencing a period of diversity in terms of styles, use of language, and other techniques.

“Many Arab novelists are interested in history as a forward-looking, imaginative adventure to create a new and distinctive fictional form,” he said.

Organizers of the International Prize for Arabic Fiction say the aim of the competition is to reward excellence in contemporary Arabic literature and grow the global audience for it by translating and publishing shortlisted works in other languages. Each of the shortlisted writers receive a $10,000 award, and the winner gets a $50,000 prize.

The English translation of the winning novel in 2022, “Bread on Uncle Milad’s Table” by Mohammed Alnaas, will be published this year.


AI training for 334,000 Saudi citizens completed

Updated 19 min 47 sec ago
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AI training for 334,000 Saudi citizens completed

  • Launched in September 2024, AI skills program targets citizens of all ages and professional backgrounds

RIYADH: A total of 334,000 Saudi Arabia citizens have benefitted from a government program aimed at empowering citizens with artificial intelligence skills, according to the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority.

The “One Million Saudis in AI” program was set up in partnership with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development in September 2024.

During the keynote session of the Non-Profit Sector Forum in Education and Training 2025 in Riyadh on July 2, SDAIA chief Abdullah Alghamdi highlighted key features of the program.

He said the partnerships the authority had forged with other government agencies have positioned the Kingdom globally in empowering women in AI, and community awareness, the Saudi Press Agency reported recently.

Launched at the Global AI Summit, the SAMAI initiative targets citizens across all age groups and professional backgrounds.

Alghamdi also cited several national initiatives that resulted from this collaboration, including the National Olympiad for Programming and Artificial Intelligence, or ATHKA Competition.

More than 260,000 male and female students from intermediate and secondary schools participated, with 10,000 advancing to the final stage, he said.

One key initiative cited by the SDAIA chief was the “Road to ATHKA,” which trained more than 570,000 students on AI concepts.

Another was the “Future Intelligence Programmers” initiative, which trained over 10,000 teachers.

The SDAIA and Education Ministry had also established the Center for Excellence in Education.

This was “designed to institutionalize technological integration within the education sector, sustain future-oriented initiatives, and leverage AI to enhance learning outcomes.”


Saudi crown prince receives UAE national security advisor

Updated 04 July 2025
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Saudi crown prince receives UAE national security advisor

RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received UAE National Security Advisor Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan at Salam Palace in Jeddah, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The crown prince and Shiekh Tahnoun, who is also the deputy ruler of Abu Dhabi, discussed relations between the Kingdom and the UAE and ways to enhance them.


Saudi authorities close 996 establishments over health violations 

Updated 03 July 2025
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Saudi authorities close 996 establishments over health violations 

RIYADH: A total of 5,912 inspections covering 4,307 establishments were carried out across the Kingdom by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority in April and May.

A total of 996 were shut down due to various violations, while 136 were closed for operating without required licenses and for product safety breaches.

Additionally, production lines at 127 establishments were halted and 1,750 types of products were seized.

The initiative is part of the SFDA’s efforts to ensure compliance with approved regulations and to uphold high quality standards.

At one food establishment, inspectors found raw materials of an unknown origin, employees without health certificates, the absence of a tracking system and inadequate measures being taken to prevent cross-contamination. These led to the closure of the business and the implementation of necessary legal measures.
 


Need for global collaboration to fight drought stressed

Updated 03 July 2025
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Need for global collaboration to fight drought stressed

  • Saudi Arabia, along with partners, launched the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership on the first day of the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development

RIYADH: As part of the Kingdom’s efforts to mitigate the impacts of desertification, improve air quality and achieve its sustainable development goals, Saudi Arabia, along with partners, launched the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership on the first day of the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development.

Held in Seville, Spain, from June 30 to July 3, the four-day event saw the participation of 70 countries, including attendance by local and international ministers, environmental organizations and financial development entities.

Among the participants was Saudi Deputy Minister for Environment, Water and Agriculture Osama Faqeeha.

Faqeeha, who is also the adviser to the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties Presidency, emphasized the significance of collaborative efforts and innovation to address the escalating threat of climate change that resulted in complicated and devastating environmental issues such as drought.

Faqeeha said: “The Riyadh Drought Resilience Partnership will serve as a global facilitator, a ‘one-stop shop’ for drought resilience, promoting the shift from reactive relief response after drought hits to proactive preparedness.

“We also seek to amplify global resources to save lives and livelihoods around the world.”

The deputy minister said that solutions should be applied through strategies and mechanisms to ensure enhanced resilience in the areas that were mostly affected by drought and climate change globally.

He praised the partnership with the International Drought Resilience Alliance, a global coalition that aims to build resilience against droughts and climate change. 

He said it was fundamental to bridging the gap between the political and financial aspects to ensure the achievement of long-term sustainable development objectives.

The discussion highlighted some of the national efforts and strategies for environmental sustainability, including efforts by the OPEC Fund for International Development, the Islamic Development Bank and the CAF Development Bank of Latin America.


Saudi Shoura Council members visit Turkish parliament

Updated 03 July 2025
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Saudi Shoura Council members visit Turkish parliament

ANKARA: Members of the Saudi-Turkish Parliamentary Friendship Committee of the Saudi Shoura Council met with their counterparts from Turkiye during a visit to the country.

During the meeting, held in Ankara, the two sides reviewed ways to further boost their relations and discussed other topics of common interest.

The Saudi delegation also met with Numan Kurtulmus, president of the Turkish Grand National Assembly.