JEDDAH, 31 October 2006 — Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has approved an international prize for the translation of international cultural works to and from Arabic in order to promote cultural relations. The prize, to be set up by King Abdul Aziz Public Library, will be named after the library.
“This prize is an honor from King Abdullah to researchers, scholars and translators in different parts of the world. It also reflects his support for intellectual efforts,” said Faisal ibn Abdul Rahman ibn Muammar, an adviser at the Royal Court and general supervisor of the library. Muammar said the prize was aimed at encouraging creative translation and writing in order to strengthen cultural and human relations between different nations and communities. “It also aims at promoting a culture of understanding others in this age of communication,” he added.
The prize is established as part of the library’s intellectual and information activities. “It is also an affirmation of King Abdullah’s support for cultural dialogue between nations and his desire to link culture and society,” Muammar told the Saudi Press Agency. He said the prize would contribute to enriching Saudi and Arab libraries with major literary and intellectual works in human sciences and literature as these works will be translated from other languages,” he said. It will also encourage translation of important works in Arabic into other languages.
“Our library seeks to serve as a bridge between various cultures through its different activities and to highlight the culture and civilization of Saudi Arabia,” he said, emphasizing the need for cultural contacts to promote relations between countries.
The library will soon announce the details of the prize, its regulations, conditions, areas and mode of nominations after completing certain procedures. The library has embarked on a number of vital projects such as Reading for Everybody, Unified Arab Index and Encyclopedia of Saudi Arabia.
