Sudanese writer Muhannad Rajab Al Dabi won the published Arabic novels category at the 12th edition of the Katara Prize for Arabic Novel for his novel The Siege of Gazelle Waw (also translated as The Siege of Al-Ghazala Wau). The award ceremony took place at Katara Cultural Village in Doha, Qatar, on 15 October 2026.
Al Dabi received $30,000, along with funding for an English translation of his novel.
لقاء مع مهند رجب الدابي، من السودان، الفائز عن فئة الروايات العربية المنشورة ضمن #جائزة_كتارا_للرواية_العربية 2026، للحديث عن تجربته وأهمية هذا التتويج. #للرواية_حق_التكريم #كتارا_ملتقى_الثقافات #كتارا_وجهة_ثقافية_سياحية https://t.co/9qDATcnl11
— كتارا | Katara (@kataraqatar) October 15, 2026
Established in 2014 by Qatar’s Katara Cultural Village Foundation, the Katara Prize for Arabic Novel is an annual literary award recognising Arabic fiction and literary criticism across several categories, including published and unpublished novels, young adult fiction, historical novels, Qatari novels and literary studies.
The 2026 edition attracted a record 2,610 submissions, the highest number since the award was launched, including 1,488 unpublished novels. The prize recognises writers from across the Arab region and beyond, with winning works in selected categories receiving publication and translation support.
In the published Arabic novels category, Al Dabi was joined by Egyptian writer Samar Nour, who won for Asha the Scarab and the Moon, and Saudi writer Maha Abdulaziz Abdullah Al Yamani, who won for My Hands Do Not Tremble. Each recipient received $30,000, with their novels set to be translated into English.
الفائزون في فئة الروايات المنشورة ضمن الدورة الثانية عشرة من #جائزة_كتارا_للرواية_العربية 2026. #للرواية_حق_التكريم #كتارا_ملتقى_الثقافات #كتارا_وجهة_ثقافية_سياحية https://t.co/RtUFKZfJHY
— كتارا | Katara (@kataraqatar) October 15, 2026
Based in Salalah, Oman, Al Dabi is a Sudanese novelist, writer and creative director, as well as a passionate book collector. He studied Business Administration before pursuing Information Technology in Sudan. He has reportedly amassed a collection of 42,000 books and established six libraries in different Sudanese cities. He founded the Nirvana Cultural Foundation in 2017 and served as its general director, supporting literary and cultural activities in Sudan. The ongoing war has disrupted the foundation’s work and brought its library projects to a halt.
Al Dabi’s relationship with storytelling began in childhood, when he started writing stories for himself. His literary career gained recognition in 2015 when he won the Tayeb Salih Award for Creative Writing for his book Shadow at the Abdel Karim Mirghani Cultural Centre in Omdurman. He has since published four novels and two other books and received several local and international awards.
