NNA - Professor Ramzi Baalbaki, the Margaret Weyerhaeuser Jewett Chair of Arabic at the American University of Beirut (AUB), was awarded the prestigious Qatar State Achievement Prize, sponsored by the Arabic Book Prize in Qatar. Baalbaki was presented with the award during a special ceremony held in Doha on February 8, where he also delivered the inaugural speech.

The Qatar State Achievement Prize, a newly established award, recognizes individuals and institutions that have made "significant intellectual contributions enriching Arab culture with originality and authenticity, representing a substantial addition to knowledge and human culture." Baalbaki's award was granted in recognition of his outstanding lifetime achievements in Arabic philology, as well as his contributions to the Arabic grammatical and lexicographical traditions.

Out of a competitive pool of 1,261 applicants across five disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, Baalbaki emerged as the recipient of this esteemed prize, underscoring his unparalleled impact in his field.

Baalbaki's academic career has already been distinguished by other prestigious recognitions, including the King Faisal International Prize in 2010 for his groundbreaking work in Arabic grammar, and the Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences Prize in 2021 for his pioneering studies on Arabic linguistics