Shams Award for Arabic Content continues to attract Arab talents

October 23, 2025 / 1:41 PM

Sharjah 24: Sharjah Media City (Shams) continues accepting entries for the second "Shams Award for Arabic Content,” launched in August 2025, drawing strong responses from Arab content creators.

Participants can submit works across digital media categories such as short films, podcasts, and creative content, reflecting young Arab creators' enthusiasm to showcase innovation and the Arabic language in the digital space. The award is a flagship initiative, part of Shams' vision to empower Arab creatives, support meaningful content, and promote Arabic in digital contexts. It also establishes Shams as a regional hub for media innovation and offers opportunities for creators to reach broad Arab and global audiences.

The remarkable engagement underscores the award’s growing prominence as a leading platform that celebrates Arab creativity and promotes impactful, innovative content amid the rapid changes in digital media. The initiative highlights the increasing significance of Arabic content as a key element of cultural identity in the online sphere.

Diverse participation across the Arab World

This year’s edition has seen widespread geographic participation, with 48% of submissions from the UAE, followed by Algeria (31%), Egypt (13%), and Saudi Arabia (8%), alongside entries from Morocco, Tunisia, Jordan, Iraq, Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, and Syria.

This diversity demonstrates the award’s increasing regional reach and its rising reputation as a pan-Arab platform bringing together creative talents from across the region in digital media and content production.

Top categories highlight emerging creative trends

Regarding category distribution, the “Best Content Creator” category received the highest number of entries, accounting for 37% of total submissions, followed by “Best AI-Generated Video” (30%), “Best Short Film” (17%), and “Best Arabic Podcast” (13%). These figures highlight the growing interest of Arab youth in modern technologies and their ability to showcase creativity across various digital platforms.

Commenting on the results, Obaid Al Suwaidi, Member of the Award’s Organising Committee, said: “The strong turnout this year clearly reflects the maturity of creative awareness among Arab youth and their understanding of the importance of producing digital content that embodies their values and culture in a contemporary and engaging way. The award aims to empower Arab creators to transform their ideas into impactful works that contribute to the development of the Arab media industry.”