The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), part of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), has announced the winners of the sixth edition of the Research Grants Programme for 2026.
The Centre has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting specialised scientific research in the Arabic language and related disciplines, as well as enhancing its regional and international presence as a language of knowledge and academic production.
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 robust research that serves various fields across science and the humanities.
The sixth edition witnessed strong engagement, receiving 623 applications from researchers representing 34 countries. The figures reflect the growing global interest in Arabic language studies and underscores the programme’s advanced standing as a supportive platform for researchers and specialists in Arabic studies.
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 Alllani 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.”
“The winning projects this year present a notable diversity in research topics and methodologies,” H.E. bin Tamim added. “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. This reflects the Emirate of Abu Dhabi’s vision of advancing culture and strengthening the knowledge economy.
Since its launch in 2021, the Research Grants Programme has awarded a total of 42 grants, benefiting 49 researchers from around the world. This reflects the programme’s growing impact in supporting specialised scientific research and enhancing the presence of the Arabic language in the global academic and cultural landscape.
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