Okaz Organization for Press and Publication held on Saturday its annual staff awards ceremony which this time included a special honoring of Okaz writer Abdo Khal for his winning of the 2010 International Prize for Arabic fiction. “Abdo Khal is for us not merely an Okaz columnist,” Muhammad Al-Tunisi, Okaz Editor-in-Chief, told the gathering at Jeddah's Hilton Hotel. “He has been with us for 27 years, is a model member of staff, and a part of the organization's family.” Abdo Khal himself, who won the literary award that has come to be known as the “Arabic Booker Prize” for his novel “Spewing Sparks As Big As Castle”, told attendees that he had been hoping for just such an event for nigh on three decades. “It's been a dream of mine to receive such an honoring from Okaz since the day I joined 27 years ago,” he said. “Okaz represents not just the history of journalism in the Kingdom, but also my own personal history. After winning the Arabic Booker Prize, however, I have now been doubly rewarded with the award for Outstanding Okaz Employee of the Year by the organization which is a school of fine journalists and columnists and is regarded as the leader in its field in the Kingdom.” Ahmad Battah, Okaz's Human Resources Assistant Director General, said that the opportunity to award Abdo Khal his prize was a source of pride for the organization. “Honoring Abdo Khal and our other outstanding employees of the year reflects for our leadership the improvements made in journalism,” Battah said. “Okaz has made itself since its very foundation a prime reference for its journalism and the creativity of its columnists.” The evening's events saw the honoring of Outstanding Employees for 2009 from various departments. “The prizes will motivate me and others to make even greater efforts,” said Man of the Year award winner Mohammad Al-Ghamdi, head of Okaz's Human Resources Department. “The annual awards serve to motivate everyone to strive toward their very best.” Outstanding Employee awards went to: Central Region Managing Editor Abdullah Al-Oraifij; Managing Editor Faheem Al-Hamid; Managing Editor Badr Al-Ghamaini; Editor Adnan Al-Shabarwi; Advertising Editor Bashhar Aboud; Accountant Hassan Al-Margoushi; Executive Secretary and Receptionist Obaid Al-Khathami; Government Relations Agent Mohammed Mobarrak; Executive Ahmed Al-Melh, Database Administrator Mohammed Bakatyan, and Marketing Specialist Sabah Sabrah. The winners from Saudi Gazette, Okaz newspaper's sister publication, were editors Dennis Danchik and Jon Rooney.
