Sheikh Zayed Book Award Higher Executive Committee discusses the Fifth Session work plan

The Sheikh Zayed Book Award Higher Executive Committee met on Tuesday, April 6th, 2010 under the chairmanship of His Excellency Sheikh Sultan Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Higher Executive Committee Chairman, and the presence of committee members; Dr. Zaki Nusseibeh and Mr. Mohammad Khalaf Al-Mazrouei and Mr.Jumaa Al Qubaisi, in addition to Mr. Rashed Al Oraimi, Secretary-General of the award. They reviewed the Award's most important achievements during the past year and discussed a plan of action for the Award's fifth session. The agenda of the meeting included assessing the quantity and quality of media coverage of the Award's fourth session and the awarding ceremony. Committee members reviewed related available data, such as news coverage and press releases issued by the Award's Executive Office. The Committee also evaluated the Award's participation in the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2010, and the cultural activities and lectures held by the Award during its fourth session, which included its participation in international book fairs and sponsoring of cultural seminars in many world capitals such as London, Los Angeles, New York, Frankfurt and Cairo, as well as continuous contacts with global universities and institutions, and the results achieved by the Award through promoting its goals in the most important cultural quarters. In addition,the Committee discussed amendments to the judging process, which were implemented during the last session through developing judging forms and the use of technology, designed to improve and facilitate the judging performance and reduce the time spent in the arbitration process during the fourth session. Discussion and selection of newly proposed names for the Award's Advisory Council took place. Names include a number of leading intellectuals and specialists in the field of Arab culture. Mr.Rashed Al Oraimi, Secretary General of the Award, stressed that the Committee has already made its choices, which will be announced later. Mr. Al Oraimi also announced that the Fifth Session Calll for Nominations Campaign will start on Sunday the 11th of April 2010.