Muscat:The Sultan Qaboos Higher Centre for Culture and Science, situated at the Diwan of the Royal Court, has announced the winners of the 13th edition of the Sultan Qaboos Award for Culture, Arts, and Literature.

According to Oman News Agency, this 2026 edition was exclusively allocated to Omani participants and covered three categories 'Family and Childhood Studies in the Sultanate of Oman', 'Arabic Calligraphy', and 'Short Stories'. Calligrapher Sami bin Zain Al Ghawi secured first place in the Arabic Calligraphy category under the Arts branch. In the Literature branch, particularly in 'Short Stories', writer Yahya bin Salam Al Mandhari won the first award for his collection titled 'A Short Time for Panic'. Notably, the award was withheld in 'Family and Childhood Studies in the Sultanate of Oman' within the Culture branch.

Habib bin Mohammed Al Riyami, Chairman of the Sultan Qaboos Higher Centre for Culture and Science, stated that the decision to withhold the award in 'Family and Childhood Studies' was based on the committee's recommendation. The sorting and arbitration results revealed some methodological issues in the submissions, including problems with the research structure and the clarity of theoretical frameworks, which did not meet the award's conditions.

The committee appreciated the contestants' efforts but emphasized that the relative excellence of some works was not enough to grant the award, as entries failed to meet the required scientific standards. Al Riyami noted that none of the entries achieved the necessary scientific level of originality, quality, and methodological integration, leading to the decision to withhold the award to maintain the award's scientific and cultural integrity.

The competition areas for this edition were announced at a ceremony on 17 December 2025, with nominations processed electronically from 24 March 2026 to 18 July 2026. A total of 204 applicants met the requirements, with 50 in 'Family and Childhood Studies', 41 in 'Arabic Calligraphy', and 113 in 'Short Stories'.

The Sultan Qaboos Award aims to support culture, art, and literature, contribute to scientific and intellectual development, and promote originality and innovation across generations. It seeks to honor intellectuals, artists, and writers for their contributions to thought renewal and human conscience elevation, providing significant material, intellectual, and cognitive achievements to human civilization.