The employees of the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR) organized on Tuesday, April 19, 2016, in the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan hall in the Center’s headquarters in Abu Dhabi, a celebration in honor of His Excellency Dr. Jamal Sanad Al-Suwaidi, Director General of the ECSSR, on the occasion of his winning of the 10th edition 2016/2015 of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award in the category of ‘Development of Nations’.

The ceremony began with the national anthem of the United Arab Emirates and the recitation of verses from the Holy Quran, followed by heartfelt congratulations extended by the employees of the ECSSR to His Excellency Dr. Jamal Sanad Al-Suwaidi for winning such a prestigious Award which carries a great symbolic and scientific value. They underscored that this distinction is a recognition for the colossal achievements of His Excellency in the fields of thought, science and knowledge which have been acclaimed at the local, Arab and international levels.

The ECSSR employees also rejoiced and expressed pride at this great achievement of His Excellency Dr. Jamal Sanad Al-Suwaidi. They highlighted that the winning of the esteemed award by His Excellency is a salute to his remarkable intellect and a recognition of his valuable contributions, prolific research and scientific journey, during which he enriched the cultural and intellectual scene in the United Arab Emirates, the Arab region and the world with enlightened ideas, in addition to his contributions to promote general awareness and address different challenges facing the world today.

On the same occasion, the employees affirmed that awarding such a prestigious prize to His Excellency Dr. Jamal Sanad Al-Suwaidi is a celebration of the academic and research value permeating his book The Mirage, which won local, Arab and international acclaim thanks to its concepts and ideas that aim at assisting decision-makers, thinkers, intellectuals and researchers in dealing with religious political groups, an issue that has become more and more pressing in the modern era.

For his part, His Excellency Dr. Jamal Sanad Al-Suwaidi expressed, on the sidelines of the celebration, his great joy at receiving the Sheikh Zayed Book Award, saying that “this Award has special place in my heart, because it bears the name of late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al-Nahyan -may God bless his soul-, who has always been an role model for future generations inspiring values of loyalty and belonging to our beloved homeland. He instilled in us the love for reading, education and perseverance in seeking science and knowledge, because he- may God bless his soul- believed that building the nation requires minds that think and innovate in all fields.”

His Excellency added that “Although I received before several prizes in the field of culture and thought from different eminent international institutions and universities, the Sheikh Zayed Book Award will keep a special place in my heart, because it is a source of pride for every Emirati, notably as it has become the most distinguished and diversified award in the fields of culture and literature compared with other Arab or international awards.”

His Excellency Dr. Jamal Sanad Al-Suwaidi, Director General of the ECSSR, had received the the Sheikh Zayed Book Award in the category of ‘Development of Nations’ during its 10th edition 2016/2015 for his book The Mirage, which studies political religious groups from intellectual, political, cultural, social and faith perspectives. The book discusses the historical context of the emergence of such groups in the second decade of the 21st Century and deconstructs the factors that hindered development, enlightenment, modernity and progress and led to widen the gap between the Arab world and the West.