Shiekh Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qassmi, a member of the UAE Higher Council and ruler of Sharjah, and 17 other winners received Prince Salman Prize for Research and Studies on the Arabian Peninsula during a colorful ceremony here yesterday.
Defense Minister Prince Salman distributed the prizes during the ceremony, which was held at King Abdulaziz Historical Center in Riyadh. Sheikh Sultan was given the award in recognition of his service to the history of Arab Gulf region and Arabian Peninsula.
Prince Salman, who is chairman of the King Abdul Aziz Foundation, also launched the King Abdul Aziz Prize for Writers with its 10 branches. A large number of princes, ministers and other dignitaries attended the prize distribution ceremony. Speaking after receiving the award, Sheikh Sultan said: “I am very happy to receive this prize which comes from the foundation, which is chaired by Prince Salman.”
He commended Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah’s efforts to boost the Kingdom’s progress and prosperity and enhance facilities for pilgrims who come to the Kingdom for Haj and Umrah.
Fahad Al-Sammari, secretary-general of the Foundation and the Higher Commission for Prince Salman Prizes and Grants, said the18 winners were selected from 65 candidates. He commended the defense minister’s support to the event.
Al-Sammari commended the Saudi leadership for its support to education and research. “Prince Salman Prize will encourage researchers to conduct more in-depth studies on the Kingdom’s history for public benefit,” he said.
Hamad bin Saray, chairman of the Society for History and Heritage at the Gulf Cooperation Council, also commended the prize, saying it would promote more studies on the history of the Arabian Peninsula to remove many obscurities and make historical facts clear.
Minister of Higher Education Khaled Al-Anqari highlighted the significance of the prize, saying it reflects Prince Salman’s unlimited concern toward the history of the Kingdom. The prize represents an enormous incentive for researchers, he added.
Other winners included Abu Abdul Rahman Al-Zahiri, Laila bint Saleh Al-Bassam, Abdul Kareem Al-Khateeb and Hijab bin Yahya Al-Hazmi. The prizes for doctoral theses went to “Metallic arts of Al-Fao village” prepared by Maha bint Abdullah Al-Sinan and “the Ottoman administration and regulations in Hijaz during the reign of Sultan Abdul Hameed II” written by Dayel Al-Khalidi.
The winning dissertations for master’s degree include “Prophet’s biography in the narrations of Anas bin Malik” prepared by Wadha Al-Shahrani and “the influence of charity works in Makkan society during the Ayyubi and Mamluk periods” prepared by Fahd Al-Neghaimashi.
The prizes for books went to Houses and Chambers of the Prophet (peace be upon him) by Muhammad Al-Jameel of the King Saud University, and the Holiness and Merits of Makkah and Madinah in Jewish and Christian writings by Laila Zaezu and Assam Mudir. Scholarly article
“The present state of building of the Maudi mosque in Diriyah” by Abdul Nasser Al-Zahrani of King Saud University also received the prize. Research grants were awarded to five men and a woman research scholar.
