Doha: The Katara Cultural Village has announced the opening of nominations for the 12th Katara Prize for Arabic Novel 2026, running from early November until Jan. 31, 2026. The prize includes key categories, namely published novels and unpublished novels, research and critical studies, unpublished young adult novels, unpublished historical novels, and published Qatari novels.

According to Qatar News Agency, General Manager of Katara, Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti, expressed enthusiasm over the success of the 11th prize, noting it was exceptional due to its introduction of new projects and initiatives. These include the Katara International Prize for novels written in English, French, and Spanish, a project to convert unpublished novels and historical novels into films using artificial intelligence, and the Katara Youth Novel Competition for university students across the Arab world. Additionally, the "The Novel Brings Us Together" initiative pairs a Qatari novelist with a novelist from another Arab country.

General Supervisor of the Katara Prize for Arabic Novel, Khalid Abdelrahim Al Sayed, stated that the prize committee has established a tradition of honoring a guest from an Arab country at each Katara Arabic Novel Festival. This initiative aims to highlight the development of the novel in the selected Arab countries through seminars and exhibitions, emphasizing its literary achievements.

Al Sayed noted that choosing Saudi novels as the guest of honor for the 11th prize has helped in exploring their origins and development, spotlighting key figures like the late novelist and diplomat Ghazi Abdul Rahman Al Gosaibi, who was honored as the character of the year.