Nominations Open For UNESCO-Sharjah Prize For Arab Culture, Reward Rs 50 Lakh

UNESCO has invited nominations from the government for the 20th edition of UNESCO-Sharjah Prize for Arab Culture. The prize is rewarded every year to laureates who have contributed to the promotion and dissemination of Arab art and culture. The winners selected will receive an amount of US dollar 60,000 which will be equally divided between the two prize winners.

Candidates applying for the prize can be individual, institutions, other entities or non-governmental organisations that have made a significant contribution to the development, the diffusion and the promotion of Arab culture throughout the world.

Candidates can submit their applications to the Indian National Commission for Cooperation with UNESCO (INCCU) by January 5, 2024. The Commission will then send the nominations to UNESCO's Social and Human Sciences Sector by January 31, 2024.

The candidates applying for the award should have acquired an international reputation in spreading Arab Culture. The applicant must have contributed to promoting cultural dialogue and revitalization of the Arab culture. 

The winners will be selected by the Director-General of UNESCO on the basis of the assessments and recommendations made by a jury.

The prize for the award is funded by the Government of Sharjah (United Arab Emirates). The full staff support and operating or management costs, including all costs related to the award ceremony and public information activities will be fully covered by the Government of Sharjah. The Director-General of UNESCO will therefore determine a mandatory overhead cost amount that will be applied and charged against the funds in the special account.

The prize was instituted in 1998 with an aim to reward the efforts of a national of an Arab country and a national of any other country.