Casa Árabe, awarded "Cultural Personality of the Year" in the United Arab Emirates

The Board of Trustees and the Scientific Committee of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award have unanimously decided to award Casa Árabe the highest distinction in the category "Cultural Personality of the Year" in its 18th edition (2023-2024). The Sheikh Zayed Book Award, sponsored by the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism, was created in 2006 and is one of the most important cultural awards in the United Arab Emirates and the region. 

The official award ceremony will be held on Tuesday 30 April at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), and will be attended by Casa Árabe's Director General, Irene Lozano, and the institution's Deputy Director, Cristina Juarranz. 

"It is an endorsement of our country's cultural contribution and the public diplomacy promoted by Spanish institutions, especially in the Arab world," said Casa Árabe's Director General, Irene Lozano, on hearing the news. "For Casa Árabe, this prize is a great incentive to continue working on mutual understanding and strengthening ties between Spanish society and the Arab world. All of this through culture, coexistence and peace". 

The Board of Trustees' decision to award the prize to the Spanish institution was based on the recommendations of the Scientific Committee, which considers that Casa Árabe "fulfils the fundamental function of a bridge between Arab and Spanish cultures". In this respect, those responsible for the award wished to highlight "Casa Árabe's unwavering dedication to fostering intercultural dialogue [...] by welcoming numerous Arab writers, artists and thinkers alongside Spanish Arabists, all of whom share the aim of cultivating an environment based on principles of tolerance and respect for cultural diversity". 

Casa Árabe was created in 2006 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, when Miguel Ángel Moratinos was minister at the time, with the mandate to be a bridge between Spain and the Arab world to promote and strengthen relations with the region in all areas: cultural, economic, academic, etc., which has been its mission throughout its 18 years of existence. 

In addition to the institution's activities, which include conferences, seminars, book presentations, exhibitions, film screenings, concerts and workshops, among others, Casa Árabe has a Language Centre where it has been teaching Arabic language and dialect courses since 2008, with more than 400 students each term, of all ages and professional profiles. The centre is one of the institution's pillars for fulfilling its objectives, and has become a benchmark for the study of the Arabic language thanks to its methodology and the professionalism of its teachers. 

The Sheikh Zayed Book Prize award includes a cash prize of one million Emirati dinars (AED) - just over 250,000 euros - a gold medal and a certificate of the award. 

The title of "Cultural Personality of the Year" awarded by the Sheikh Zayed Book Awards 2023-24 adds to the recognitions obtained by Casa Árabe in recent years, which include the Sheikh Hamad Award for Translation and International Understanding (2016), the Gold Medal of the Hispanic-Arab Intercultural Circle (CIHAR) in 2017 and the "Plaza de la Constitución" Award in Cordoba in 2014. 

All of them recognise the internationalisation work implemented by the entity in its 2022-2025 strategy, which has led it to strengthen its presence outside our borders with collaborations with public and private entities in the countries of North Africa, the Middle East and the Gulf, as well as institutions in the surrounding area.