The Treasure of Shabhanah

Noura Al Khouri is a children's book author from the United Arab Emirates and a recipient of the Ghanem Ghobash Award for Short Story 2024. Her writing focuses particularly on local environment and culture. She graduated from the American University of Sharjah with a degree in Environmental Sciences, which fostered her love for the flora and fauna of her country. The idea for her story "Ghafat Al Shabhanah" came to her after reading about the ancient tree in newspapers and hearing about it on the radio, inspiring her to immortalize its long-standing presence in Abu Dhabi. Noura has a diverse range of publications, including illustrated stories for young children, longer stories for older children, contributions to story collections, audiobooks, and stories for Arabic language curricula.

A multi-talented Emirati author and illustrator born in 1981, renowned for his creativity in drawing, writing, character development, and comic stories. He directed the award-winning series "Iftah Ya Simsim" (the Arabic Version of Sesame Street), created the popular local character "Hamdoon", and illustrated Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's story collection "My Little World". He started his publishing career in 2003 and distinguished himself in publishing and developing local Arabic content for children. He co-founded Ajyaal Publishing, specializing in children's and teens' literature, and has authored and illustrated over 20 children's books, featured in various education curriculums and local media channels. Currently pursuing a PhD in Computer Science, he's a published researcher. A dedicated family man with four children, he excels in balancing his flourishing career and family commitments, exemplifying success in art, science, and business.