LONDON: The British-Kuwait Friendship Society held its annual ceremony in London to announce the winners of the 26th Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah Prize for the best English books in the Middle East. The event, sponsored by the Sheikh Abdullah Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah Foundation, took place in the British capital on Wednesday. The top award was presented to Professor Nasser Rabbat, an Islamic architecture scholar in the US, for his book, Writing Egypt: Al-Maqrizi and his Historical Project, published by Edinburgh University Press, which explores the historical project of Egyptian historian Taqi Al-Din Al-Maqrizi.

Sheikh Mubarak Abdullah Al-Sabah, representing the foundation, highlighted the importance of the prize in promoting Middle Eastern and Islamic culture and fostering knowledge across various disciplines. In a statement to KUNA, Sheikh Mubarak emphasized the prize’s role in fostering a better understanding of the Middle East and the Islamic world. The 2024 prize coincides with the 125th anniversary of the strategic Kuwaiti-British partnership, encompassing cooperation in security, science, trade and culture.

To encourage research and knowledge on the Arab and Islamic worlds, the prize’s value was doubled this year. The British-Kuwait Friendship Society established the award in 1998, with honorary chairmanship held by Sheikha Dr Sheikha Suad Al-Sabah, and previously, King Charles III during his tenure as Prince of Wales. Sheikh Mubarak noted that the foundation receives around 50 applications annually, reflecting the academic community’s high regard for the award, and he thanked current and former jury members for their dedicated service.

Sheikh Mubarak also recognized last year’s winners, Professor Janet Afary and Professor Kamran Afary, for their book Molla Nasreddin: The Making of a Modern Trickster, which went uncelebrated last year due to event cancellations. The ceremony also included a special tribute to Sir Roger Tomkys, a board member of the British-Kuwait Friendship Society, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the organization. The event was attended by prominent academics and researchers in Islamic and Middle Eastern studies, Kuwait’s cultural attache Dr Hessah Al-Ojayan, and a number of Kuwaiti students studying in the UK. — KUNA