Katara Cultural Village has officially announced the opening of  nominations for the 12th edition of the Katara Prize for Arabic Novel 2026, running from early November until January 31, 2026. The prestigious prize encompasses several categories including published and unpublished novels, research and critical studies, unpublished young adult novels, unpublished historical novels, and published Qatari novels.

Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim al-Sulaiti, General Manager of Katara, expressed his excitement over the success of the 11th prize, calling it exceptional due to its showcase of new projects and initiatives. Notably, these include the Katara International Prize for novels in English, French, and Spanish, and a project to adapt unpublished novels and historical novels into films using artificial intelligence. The launch of the Katara Youth Novel Competition, aimed at university students across the Arab world, and the "The Novel Brings Us Together!" initiative, which pairs a Qatari novelist with a novelist from another Arab country, were also highlighted.

Khalid AbdeIrahim al-Sayed, General Supervisor of the Katara Prize for Arabic Novel, affirmed the tradition of honoring a guest from an Arab country at each season of the Katara Arabic Novel Festival. This initiative aims to highlight the evolution of the novel in the selected country through seminars and exhibitions. Saudi novels were honored during the 11th prize, with a focus on their origin and evolution, and celebrated figures like the late novelist and diplomat Ghazi Abdul Rahman al-Gosaibi, who was named character of the year.