The General Egyptian Book Organization (GEBO) won the 2009 Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah International Prize for Translation in the institutions category at an awards ceremony here Saturday. Three scholars shared the award for translation in humanities from other languages into Arabic. Mohammad Al-Kholi received the award for translation from English into Arabic of John R. Saul' s book “The Collapse of Globalism and the Reinvention of the World,” Abdelkader Mhiri and Hamadi Sammoud were awarded for their translation from French into Arabic of “Dictionnaire D'Analyse Du Discours.” Dr. Sharif Alwitaidi, Dr. Isam Aljamal, Dr. Nasir Al'aandas, Dr. Ahmad Ala'wais and Dr. Abdullah Alqahtani shared the award for translation in natural sciences from other languages into Arabic. André Miquel, chair of Arabic language and literature at the College de France and general supervisor of the National Library of France, and Iraqi national professor Abdul Wahid Lulua were honored for distinction in the field of translation. Each winner will receive SR500,000 at an awards ceremony to be held at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. Prince Abdulaziz Bin Abdullah, Adviser to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Member of the Board of Directors of King Abdul Aziz Public Library and President of the Council of Trustees of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz International Prize for Translation, patronized the awards ceremony. In his speech, he highlighted the King's appreciation for the role of translation in boosting human values including dialogue, understanding and coexistence. The winners were selected from 118 works of translation from 23 Arab and non-Arab countries after lengthy deliberations, said Saeed Faiz Al-Saeed, secretary-general of the prize committee. Earlier, Faisal Bin Moammar, General Supervisor of King Abdul Aziz Public Library, said the prize bolsters cultural contacts among countries and peoples and boosts dialogue among civilizations. He said the great participation in the prize event reflects international support for the King's civilizational project and his initiative for dialogue. Professor Choon Fong Shih, President of King Abdullah University For Science and Technology, highlighted the significance of the prize and its importance in translating sciences into Arabic and vice versa. Shih underlined the role of the prize in bolstering cultural contacts among countries and peoples. __
