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Shihab becomes first Emirati and Arab to win Tagore Peace Prize

ABU DHABI - Emirati poet and translator Dr Shihab Ghnem has become the first Emirati and Arab to win the Tagore Peace Prize, which was instituted by the Indian government to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of India’s poet, philosopher and Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore.

Ghanem was awarded the accolade in recognition of his creative literary and translation works, both in Arabic and English, and for promoting human understanding and values of love and peace Tagore had advocated.

The Asiatic Society which was founded in 1784 gives the international award every two years in memory of Indian philosopher, writer, playwright, songwriter, poet, philosopher, educator Rabindranath Tagore.

Ghanem authored nearly 50 books including a collection of 15 works, 13 in Arabic and two in English, and ten works on contemporary Arabic poetry in addition to a book on Industry in UAE, published in London in 1992.

An award giving ceremony will be held Kolkata, India, on 6 May 2013.

Dr. Shihab Ghanem obtained a double degree in Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering from Aberdeen in 1964, and a Master of Engineering degree in Water Resources Development from Roorkee University in 1975 and a Ph.D. in Economics from Wales (Cardiff) in 1989.

He is a UK Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers of UK and a Fellow of the Institute of Management of UK and a member of various other technical and literary bodies in the UAE and overseas. He was also the Chief Editor of “World of Engineering”, the UAE Society of Engineers’ Technical Magazine from 1996 to 1999.