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The “Riwaq Prize for Science and Culture” is intended to strengthen scientific and cultural exchange between the Arab world and Germany. The Divan, the Arab House of Culture, which is affiliated with the Embassy of Qatar, and the renowned Orient Institute Beirut (OIB) of the Max Weber Foundation — German Humanities Institutes abroad — signed an agreement to jointly award the new research prize.

The prize honors outstanding monographs in all fields of Arabic and Middle East studies that have been published in Arabic, German or English.

Promoting excellent research

“This prize is a commitment to academic freedom and the importance of intercultural dialogue,” explains Prof. Dr. Jens Hanssen, Director of the OIB. Asma Mohammed Al-Bakr from Divan also emphasizes: “With the Riwag Prize for Science and Culture, we are creating a platform to promote new scientific impulses and at the same time increase the visibility of excellent research about the Arab world. ”

The prize is awarded every two years and alternates regularly between fields of the humanities and social sciences. It honors original, academically based monographs that contribute to the further development of their discipline. Anthologies, translations, new editions or textbooks are excluded from distribution.

Selection process

The organization of the prize is in the hands of a five-person board of directors, supported by three expert juries, each of which evaluates the submitted works in the language categories Arabic, German and English.

The prize money amounts to a total of 3,000 euros and is divided equally among the three winners. The award ceremony will take place as part of Divan book fair takes place in Berlin.

Joint commitment

The Divan and the OIB are equally responsible for organising and financing the book prize. Both institutions contribute their expertise, networks and perspectives to the design of the selection process and public presentation. The first call for proposals is planned for 2026.

In classical Arabic, the word riwaq refers to the arcade or colonnade of a mosque, a madrasa or a palace — architecturally protected and yet open for meetings, teaching and discussion.

The Riwaq Book Prize is intended to create an important forum for making scientific excellence in Arabic and Middle East studies visible.

E.K.

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