School theatre playwriting award winners announced

April 21, 2026 / 5:43 PM

Sharjah 24: The organising committee of the Sharjah School Theatre Festival, held under the auspices of the Department of Culture, has announced the winners of the Sharjah School Theatre Playwriting Award for 2025–2026. The results were reached following a thorough review of submitted scripts by a judging panel comprising artists Abdullah Saeed bin Haidar, Haifa Al Ali, and Hamid Faris.

Teachers and students step into the spotlight

In the teachers' category, first place went to Khaled Walid Raslan of Abdullah Al Salem School in the

UAE, for his script, "The First Question," earning him a prize of AED 50,000. Second place was awarded to Ashraf Husni from Modern Skills School in the UAE for his work, "A Call from Within," which carried a prize of AED30,000. Third place went to Iman Hamido of Masafi School for her script, "Victory," with a prize of AED20,000.

The students' category produced equally impressive results. Aisha Al Mazrouei of Al Nahdha School in Oman claimed first place for her script "Room 7," winning AED 25,000. Second place went to Raneem Al Habsi of Al Shumus School, also in Oman, for her play "The Court of Time", which earned her AED 15,000. Third place was awarded to Hanan Saeed Khalfan Al Naqbi of Zayed Educational Complex Al Saaf in the UAE for her script, "The Memory Shop", which carried a prize of AED 10,000.

Nurturing the next generation of theatre-makers

Through this award, the Sharjah School Theatre Festival aims to embed a genuine love of theatre within school communities and enrich the artistic landscape with creative scripts that help shape a generation that is not only capable of producing theatre but also of truly appreciating it. At its heart, it is an investment in young minds— and in the future of the stage.