ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) has announced the winners of the sixth edition of the Research Grants Programme.
Launched by the ALC in 2021, the Research Grants Programme is a pioneering initiative designed to incentivise researchers to conduct original scientific studies and projects that contribute to developing knowledge of the Arabic language and enrich the Arabic library with research that serves various fields across science and the humanities.
The sixth edition witnessed strong engagement, receiving 623 applications from researchers representing 34 countries.
Seven research projects were selected across four fields of knowledge. In the Arabic Dictionary category, two winning projects were selected: “Palm Tree Vocabulary in UAE Dialects: A Linguistic Study” by researcher Ahmed Mohamed Obaid from the UAE and “Keys to Heritage: A Lexicon of Pre-Islamic Society and Folk Culture” by Mohammed Obaidallah from Jordan.
In the Teaching Arabic to Non-Arabic Speakers category, the sole winning project was “Inherited Language and Acquired Tongue: Towards Building Linguistic Competence for the Inheritors of Arabic” by Nizar Qpilat and Loay Badran from Jordan.
In the Curriculum Development category, one project won the grant: “The Image of Camels in Educational Curricula in the GCC Countries: A Comparative Study in Semiotic Transformations and a Historical Tracking of the Presentation, Approach and Treatment Strategies in Arabic Language Textbooks” by Fawaz Saleh Al-Sulami from Saudi Arabia.
In the category Literature and Criticism category, three projects were selected: “French Orientalism and Arabic Literature: History, Trajectories and Outcomes” by Mohamed Sahbi Allani from Tunisia; “Crafts and Letters: The Impact of Shadow Masters in Shaping Heritage Discourse” by Said Laouadi from Morocco; and “The Original Text: The Manuscripts and Notebooks of Naguib Mahfouz” by Mohamed Shoair from Egypt.
Commenting on the announcement, Dr Ali bin Tamim, Chairman of the ALC, said: “The Research Grants Programme continues to play a role as a fundamental pillar in supporting scientific research in the Arabic language.
“It offers distinguished researchers the opportunity to develop their scientific projects and produce robust studies that help enhance the role of Arabic as a language of science, culture and knowledge, while reinforcing Abu Dhabi’s position as a regional and global hub for cultural research and creativity.”
He added: “The winning projects this year present a notable diversity in research topics and methodologies. This, in turn, serves to enrich intellectual fields associated with the Arabic language, support Arab scientific output and ensure its sustainability, and open new horizons for researchers to address linguistic, cultural and intellectual issues of growing importance.”
The announcement of the 2026 winners confirms the programme’s continued success in empowering researchers, encouraging original scientific production and building a solid knowledge base for Arabic studies.
Since its launch in 2021, the Research Grants Programme has awarded a total of 42 grants, benefiting 49 researchers from around the world.