Abha Prize

Abha Prize is one of the oldest awards in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It was established in 1973 by Prince Khalid Al-Faisal during his tenure as Governor of Aseer Province. The first edition of the prize was launched the following year. It was named after Abha City in Aseer Province, southwest of Saudi Arabia. The most recent award ceremony was held in its forty-third edition in 2016.

Abha Prize recipients

Abha Prize is awarded to creative, talented, and distinguished individuals, whether individuals, government entities, or private sector institutions. It encompasses the following categories: national service, brilliance and scientific excellence, culture and information technology, and environmental preservation and development, which was introduced in 2012.

Objectives of Abha Prize

Abha Prize aims to motivate individuals, government sectors, and private institutions to pursue excellence by fostering a spirit of competition among them. It honors the most outstanding and impactful figures and institutions in the cultural and developmental movements. The prize also encourages distinguished works and achievements in its respective categories, supports and promotes scientific research, and stimulates intellectual creativity, enriching the cultural landscape in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

Restructure of Abha Prize

In 2009, the main categories, fields, operational mechanisms, and evaluation criteria of Abha Prize were restructured. As part of this development, a supreme council for the prize was established to serve as the sole authority overseeing its objectives and content and formulating its general policies.

The development of Abha Prize continued. In 2017, a meeting was held to develop the prize by studying seven global awards, gathering ideas from them, and re-formulating them to suit the prize's categories. This resulted in over three hundred ideas, from which the top ten were selected. The prize focused on three main categories: social, economic, and environmental, each comprising several levels.

Nomination criteria for Abha Prize

Nominees for Abha Prize must be alive at the time of nomination. A recipient may not win the prize more than once unless three editions have passed since their previous win. The prize is not awarded to any work that has previously won a local, Arab, or international award. Members of the prize council or judging committees may not be nominated. If a nominee is recommended by individuals or institutions, supporting documentation must be provided to confirm the nominee's consent and commitment to the prize's rules and regulations. Furthermore, nominees must submit a copy of their identity card, resume, and personal photo. 
All works submitted to Abha Prize are subject to arbitration based on the scientific standards approved for each prize category. Nominees for the prize are deemed to have agreed to the prize's terms and conditions of participation in accordance with its rules and regulations. An individual or entity may not participate in more than one field of the prize or submit more than one work. Supporting documents justifying the nomination must be included. In addition, submitted works may not be returned to the senders, whether the nominee wins or not.