ABU DHABI, 16th March, 2023 (WAM) – Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), a part of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), has announced the results of its successful Research Grant Programme's third edition. This year's programme received a total of 111 participants from 17 countries, including 13 Arab countries, one African, two Asian, and one European, marking an increase of nearly 40 percent over the last session.
The ALC selected eight research papers covering various fields of the Arabic language. In the Supporting Manuscript Editing and Arab Heritage category, the ALC chose three research projects. The first paper, "Report on the Book 'Ibn Musafir's Choices'" by Moqbel Al Ahmadi from Yemen and Shafiq Bitar from Syria, presents explanations for 18 highly acclaimed Arabic poems that literary scholars and critics unanimously agreed are outstanding. The second paper, "Hadith Bayad wa Riyad" by Fayez Al-Qaisi from Jordan, examines a prose story by an unknown Andalusian author dating back to the eighth century AH and focusing on Platonic love as its main theme. The third paper, "The Storytelling Creation: A Study in Narratives… and an Investigation of the Biography of Iskandar Dhul-Qarnayn and the Wonders that Happened to Him" by Nabil Hamdi Al Shahed from Egypt, seeks to make the biography of Iskandar Dhul-Qarnayn one of the most notable biographies of a historical figure with profound impact and who was mentioned in the Holy Qur'an.
In the Literature and Criticism category, the ALC selected four research papers. The first paper, "Evolving Narratives in Emirati Literature: A Technical Study" by Maryam Al-Hamshi from the UAE, explores narrative and character building, as well as novel development and overlapping literary genres.
The second paper, "The New Historical Novel and Betting on Fantasy" by Mustafa Al Nahhal from Morocco, seeks to develop the critical approach to new historical novels, both in line with the development of literary theory and analysis, and according to the evolution of the fictional discourse itself, which takes history as its background and a framework for fantasy.
The third paper, "The Literary and Critical Movement in Saudi Arabia: Beginnings and Trends" by Muhammad Al Safrani from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, aims to outline a framework for Saudi literature and poetry in the course of the renaissance of Arabic poetry, impressionism, and modernity in poetic and literary criticism in the Kingdom.
The fourth paper, "The Aesthetics of Meaning: The Philosophy of Tradition in the Arabic Language from Interpretation to Meta-Interpretation" by Shafiqa Wail from Algeria, examines the Arab philosophy of tradition and considers the process of understanding in a new philosophical field by returning to the ontological origin of the Arabic language and its heritage, and through a new framework: meta-interpretation.
Lastly, in the Arabic Lexicon category, the ALC selected "The Illustrated Arabic Dictionary for Children" by Amr Gomaa from Egypt, an illustrated Arabic dictionary directed at children in the early years of their development and elementary education.