UAE BARQ برق الإمارات – نبضك
The Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) has named Moroccan scholar Dr. Said Yaktine as Cultural Personality of the Year for the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2026), recognising more than four decades of contributions to Arabic narratology and literary criticism.
Yaktine has advanced the study of classical and modern Arabic narrative, examining the novel, Arab storytelling traditions and the impact of digital technology on literature. His research also explores hypertext, digital literature and the changing ways knowledge is produced and received.
Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, CEO of SBA, said, “Dr. Said Yaktine has developed an extensive body of scholarship spanning several fields. His reference works have enriched Arabic narratology and literary criticism, advanced approaches to studying the novel and Arab narrative heritage, and explored digital texts and the changing nature of literature in the age of technology.”
“His selection as Cultural Personality of SIBF 2026 recognises the value of rigorous academic research and its lasting influence on future generations of scholars, writers and readers,” he added.
Al Ameri said this honour aligns with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, who has made recognising leading Arab cultural figures and their intellectual achievements central to the emirate’s cultural project, ensuring their contributions are recognised and introduced to new generations.
“Under the guidance of H.H. Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of SBA, we continue to strengthen the fair’s role in honouring these scholars and introducing audiences to their work, raising awareness of Arab cultural achievements and expanding their international reach,” he stated.
Commenting on the honour, Dr. Yaktine said, “I have participated in several editions of SIBF and witnessed its continued growth, with more publishers, a broader cultural programme, diverse creative and intellectual activities, improved workshops for children and young people, and consistently high standards of organisation and punctuality.”
He added, “The fair has also expanded its international reach, welcoming writers and researchers from around the world and featuring a different Arab or foreign country at each edition. Its growing appeal among visitors of all ages reflects its place in Sharjah’s year-round cultural activities, which have truly made the emirate a permanent capital of Arab culture.”
Born in Casablanca, Morocco, in 1955, Yaktine earned a postgraduate qualification in 1988 and a State Doctorate from Mohammed V University in Rabat in 1997. He began his career teaching at secondary schools before moving to Hassan II University in Casablanca and later Mohammed V University, where he became a professor.
From 1997 to 2004, he headed the Department of Arabic Language and Literature at the Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences in Rabat. He also coordinated research into Andalusian-Moroccan narrative heritage and served as a visiting professor at several Arab and European universities.
Yaktine’s critical approach emerged in the 1980s through his study of the Arabic novel, focusing on narrative time, the narrator, point of view and discourse. His early works contributed to Arab literary debates on modern critical methods and their application to literature.
He later expanded his research to Arab narrative heritage, particularly popular epics and traditional storytelling, exploring links between classical and modern narratives and approaches that account for Arabic literary traditions while engaging with international theories.
Yaktine expanded his research into digital and interactive literature, examining how hyperlinks and electronic media have changed the structure and reading of texts, and the challenges digital technology presents for literary criticism and cultural and educational institutions. In 2011, he was elected President of the Arab Internet Writers Union.
He has published more than 20 books on classical and modern Arabic narrative.
Yaktine has received several Arab literary and academic awards, including Morocco’s Grand Book Prize in 1989 and 1997, the Abdul Hameed Shoman Award for Young Arab Researchers in 1992, and the Arab Internet Writers Union Award in 2008.
He won the Sheikh Zayed Book Award in 2016 for ‘Al Fikr Al Adabi Al Arabi: Al Bunyat wa Al Ansaq’, followed by the 2022 Katara Prize for Arabic Novel in the Literary Studies category for ‘Al Sardiyat Al Tatbiqiya: Qira’at fi Sardiyat Al Riwaya Al Arabiya’, and the 2022 Kuwait Prize for the Advancement of Science in Narratology.
His selection as Cultural Personality of the Year recognises his contributions to Arabic literary criticism and his work connecting Arab narrative heritage with contemporary literary scholarship.
SIBF 2026 will bring together 2,673 publishers and exhibitors from 124 countries, with 1,500 cultural, creative and artistic events. The Sultanate of Oman will be the Guest of Honour.
