Award Categories

Award Categories

Single Book Category

The “Single-Book” category is dedicated to single translations, whether from or into Arabic, within the wide-spread languages selected each round. Nominations are accepted from the candidates themselves, and they can also be carried out by individuals or institutions.

Wide-spread languages for the 2026 Edition:

Translation from Arabic into Chinese
Translation from Chinese into Arabic
Translation from Arabic into English
Translation from English into Arabic

The total prize value for first, second, and third place in each category is USD 200,000.

General Terms and Conditions for Application and Nomination:

Applications and nominations must be submitted during the official dates announced on the Award's official website.
Applications and nominations are limited to the fields of humanities and social sciences.
The Award allows two modes of participation: application and nomination.
Application refers to an individual or institution (such as a publishing house, research center, institute, university department, etc.) directly submitting their own work.
Nomination refers to an individual or institution (such as a publishing house, research center, institute, university department, etc.) nominating another party, whether an individual or institution.
The nominating party is not entitled to any portion of the financial reward or recognition awarded to the winning nominee.
The nominee or applicant must be alive at the time of the announcement of results.
Submitted or nominated works must not contain any racist or culturally offensive views.
Submitted translations must be published and have an International Standard Book Number (ISBN).
The Steering Committee has the right to nominate translators, institutions, or translated works that have not been nominated.
The Steering Committee has the right to avail itself of the winning translations and translators in advertising, publicity, and promotion of the Award.
Previous winners may not apply for or be nominated for another Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation and International Understanding until ten years have elapsed since their win.
The committees reserve the right to withhold the award in any category (if the submitted works are below the required standard or do not meet the criteria for eligibility), or adjust its value based on the judges' feedback, or withdraw the award after it has been granted if there are reasons to do so.
The exclusive jurisdiction of courts in the State of Qatar is applicable, and the Arabic text of the Award's Statute is adopted in the event of disagreement.

Special Conditions for Application and Nomination in the Single-Book Category:

A translator may not nominate more than one work, while each institution may nominate up to three works by different translators. Works submitted by nominees, whether individuals or institutions, must not contain racist or offensive content.
The Award exclusively honors translators if their works win, even if these works were nominated by institutions or publishing houses that issued the original books or translations.
In the case of co-translations, the applicant must obtain authorization from the other translators.
For English and Chinese, nominated book translations other than dictionaries must have been published within five years preceding the opening of applications and nominations. Translated dictionaries may have been published within the preceding seven years.

The applicant or nominating entity must submit electronic copies of the original books and their translations as part of the process to complete the electronic application and nomination form. The submitted electronic files must be text-based, allowing for copying and pasting, and must match the content of the printed book. Image-based files are not acceptable.

Application process — Single-Book Category

1. Online Submission:

The applicant or nominating entity must complete the online form through the Award’s official website and upload complete electronic copies of both the original work and the translation. Applications that do not include the required electronic files will not be accepted. If electronic copies of older original books are unavailable, please contact the Award team.

2. Send Printed Copies:

After successfully completing the online submission, send:

- One printed and signed copy of the application/nomination form.

- Four printed copies of both the original work and the translation.

Postal address:

   Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation and International Understanding
   Building 28, Cultural Village (Katara)
   P.O. Box 12231
   Doha, Qatar

Important: Please note that printed copies will not be returned to applicants or nominators.

3. Upload the Postal or Delivery Receipt:

- After sending the printed copies by post, return to the online form and upload the postal receipt, including the tracking number where available.
- If books are delivered by hand to the Award’s office, the package must include a copy of the application/nomination form. Packages without the form will not be accepted. After receiving the package, the Award team will issue a delivery receipt; the applicant must then return to the online form and upload an image of that receipt.

4. Final Approval of the Submission:

An application or nomination is considered complete only after all of the above steps have been fulfilled, including uploading the electronic copies, sending the printed copies within the specified deadlines, and uploading the postal or delivery receipt.

Achievement Category

The Achievement Category honors long-term efforts made by individuals and institutions in the field of translation from or into the Arabic language. The award is granted for outstanding accomplishments in the field of translation from or into the Arabic language that have contributed to enriching cultural and intellectual exchange.

The prize value in each Achievement Category category is USD 100,000.

Special Conditions for Application and Nomination in the Achievement Category:

Individuals are not permitted to apply for both the Achievement category and the Single-Book category simultaneously.
The Achievement Prizes are not subject to a time limitation and can be awarded to a set of works/achievements of a lifetime.

How to Apply or Nominate — Achievement Category

1. Online Submission:

The applicant or nominating party must complete the online form through the Award’s official website and upload electronic copies of at least five of the most significant translations, together with the corresponding original books. Applicants are encouraged to upload as many translations as possible to demonstrate the scale and quality of their contribution to translation from and into Arabic. Applications without the required electronic files will not be accepted. If electronic copies of older original books are unavailable, please contact the Award team.

2. Send Printed Copies:

After successfully completing the online submission, send:

- One printed and signed copy of the application/nomination form.

- Printed copies of the translations uploaded electronically, together with the corresponding original books.

Postal address:

   Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation and International Understanding
   Building 28, Cultural Village (Katara)
   P.O. Box 12231
   Doha, Qatar

Important: Please note that printed copies will not be returned to applicants or nominators.

3. Upload the Postal or Delivery Receipt:

- After sending the printed copies by post, return to the online form and upload the postal receipt, including the tracking number where available.

- For hand delivery, the package must include a copy of the application/nomination form. Packages without the form will not be accepted. The Award team will issue a delivery receipt, which must then be uploaded to the online form.

4. Final Approval of the Submission:

An application or nomination is considered complete only after all required steps have been fulfilled, including uploading electronic copies, sending printed copies within the specified deadlines, and uploading the postal or delivery receipt.