Translated by Sabrin Qadah 

Hasib Sabbagh and Said Khoury’s Engineering Prize, on Monday, announced the winners for the categories of Architecture and the Creative Engineer at its first session, during an official ceremony held at the Ramallah Cultural Palace in Ramallah attended by a gathering of official figures.

The head of the award committee D. Mohammed Shtayyeh said that the preparations for the award began a year ago with a decision from President Mahmoud Abbas. The prize carried the names of Hasib Sabbagh and Said Khoury, who were pioneers in the field of architecture and were the ones who founded one of the most important construction companies and construction in the world, in honor of their memory and in appreciation for what they have given to their Palestinian people.

Engineer Farouk Yaghmour announced that the projects arbitration committee have chosen to share the three first prize winning projects for architecture and restoration category, namely: the Edward Said Music Institute in Beit Sahour made by Anstas Engineering and regulation company, jasmine Hostel and Market in the old city of Nablus made by the Consultative Engineering House Company, and Qattan’s Child Center and Library in Gaza city offered by the Engineering Office.

Engineer Hassan Abu Shalbak also announced that the arbitration committee has decided to give the late architect Jafar Tukan’s Award for the category of creative engineer in honor for his many creations in Palestine, including Yasser Arafat and Mahmoud Darwish Museum and throughout the Arab world.

Ms. Ehsan Deebajeh, the wife of the late architect Jafar Tukan, received the award, while representatives of the winning offices received the award consisting of a crystal frame and a certificate in addition to a cash prize of 60 thousand dollars shared by the three winning offices.

The ceremony was attended by members of al-Sabbagh and al- Khoury among which Suhail Sabbagh, who delivered the family speech, in which he expressed his pleasure to give the creative engineer’s award, and praised the role of the Palestinian engineers for their competence in work wherever they are.

The award was launched in April by nomination and election after a decree from President Mahmoud Abbas, followed by intensive meetings held by the prize committee for the completion of the internal regulations.

Dozens of projects and individuals applied for the prize who either nominated themselves or were nominated by others.

The award committee consists of a constellation of the most important Palestinian engineers and architectures from the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Jerusalem and the diaspora, they are: D. Mohammed Shtayyeh President of the Economic Council for Development and Reconstruction, "PECDAR", Engineer Sohail Sabbagh, Engineer Samer Khoury and Engineer Waleed Salman from the Arab Contractors Company, in addition to Dr. Nabil Kaddoumi, Engineer Majdi Saleh, Dr. Rami Abdul Hadi, Engineer Hassan Abu Shalbak, Engineer Ali Abu Shahla, Engineer Mahmoud Abdel Aziz, Dr. Rasim Badran Eng Bassem Khoury, and lawyer A. George Salem.