The International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) has its first winner from Algeria.
Abdelouahab Aissaoui scooped the prestigious award for his novel, The Spartan Court, in a virtual ceremony streamed on YouTube today.
The Spartan Court is a multilayered tale of five characters and their varied experiences of colonialism in 19th-century Algiers.
While delighted to win the prize, Aissaoui acknowledged that such a pedigree comes with a new wave of expectation.
“Winning the prize is a great prospect and dream to which every novelist with a project aspires,” he said. “But it also means greater responsibility and it raises expectations of readers – those interested in literature and critics – when they read the successful book and future works by the writer.”
Sponsored by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and run in conjunction with the Booker Prize Foundation, the IPAF is one of the world’s most generous literary awards.
In addition to his $50,000 (Dh183,600) cash prize, Aissaoui’s book is set to receive a guaranteed English translation, which will be released next year.
Historical novels' main objective is to search for questions and concerns that we face now and have faced before, in the context in which they first appeared
The award also confirms Aissaoui as an important literary voice in the region.
His award-winning book is preceded by his 2013 debut, Jacob's Cinema, which went on to win Algeria's President of the Republic Prize.
His talent was spotted by IPAF as far back as 2016, when he was invited to take part in the award's annual Nadwa writing workshop in Jordan in 2016. Aissaoui followed this up by winning Kuwait's Suad al-Sabah Novel Prize in 2017 for his third book, Circles and Doors.
The chairman of the judging panel, Iraqi literary critic Muhsin Al Musawi, hailed The Spartan Court for its rich construction and multilayered plot line.
“It is polyphonic – with multiple voices telling the story,” he said. “The novel invites the reader to gain a greater understanding of life under occupation and the different forms of resistance that grow against it. With its deep, historical narrative structure, the novel does not live in the past, but rather it challenges the reader to question present reality.”
It is a description sure to delight Aissaoui, as he admitted that his book is not meant to be an easy read.
In an interview with the IPAF website prior to the ceremony, he stated that The Spartan Court is intended to make readers reflect on how history can have an influence on today.
“In general, historical novels do not reconstruct stories for the sake of the stories themselves,” he said. “Their main objective is to search for questions and concerns that we face now and have faced before, in the context in which they first appeared.”
While the news will be hailed in Algeria, it will undoubtedly be a source of disappointment for Lebanon's Jabbour Douaihy. The veteran author, who was up for the award for his book The King of India, was the sentimental favourite. He was shortlisted for the IPAF in 2008 with June Rain and 2012 with The Vagrant, and longlisted in 2015 with The American Quarter.
This year's shortlist also featured one female writer, Iraq's Alia Mamdouh, who was acknowledged for her title The Tank.
As part of the announcement, the IPAF also confirmed that last year's winning book, The Night Mail by Lebanese author Hoda Barakat, will be published in English in October. And the English translation of 2018 shortlisted novel The Frightened Ones, by Syria's Dima Wannous, will be out before the end of the month.
Meanwhile, the English translation of Shahla Ujayli's 2019 shortlisted novel, Summer with the Enemy, is already under way. It will be published later in the year.
The Lost Letters of William Woolf
Helen Cullen, Graydon House
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
Our legal advisor
Ahmad El Sayed is Senior Associate at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Commercial litigator who has assisted clients with overseas judgments before UAE courts. His specialties are cases related to banking, real estate, shareholder disputes, company liquidations and criminal matters as well as employment related litigation.
Education: Sagesse University, Beirut, Lebanon, in 2005.
Biog:
Age: 34
Favourite superhero: Batman
Favourite sport: anything extreme
Favourite person: Muhammad Ali
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2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid LE
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Florence and the Machine – High as Hope
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Company profile
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Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
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