5,000 Word Writing competition

Their Past, Our Future

A UAE-wide writing competition celebrating imagination, heritage, and the voices of tomorrow.
What

5,000 words Competition

Deadline

December 31st 2025

From

Write from Home.

To

Share with Dubai.

Prizes

Publication

Price

AED 75

Our theme

Writing the Future, Remembering the Past

Their Past, Our Future celebrates the creative voices of writers across the UAE.

Organised by Sahab Collective, the initiative invites writers to reflect on how stories, traditions, and memories from our shared past can inspire the world.

Supported by teachers and parents, this competition nurtures writing, empathy, and creative thinking, values central to the UAE’s vision for the future of education and culture.
How to apply:
  • Register to the competition using the button above.
  • Watch the introductory videos to understand what we are looking for.
  • Upload your piece ahead of the deadline.
  • Make sure you follow the guidelines on submitting your piece.
  • Deadline: December 31st 2025
  • Winners announced: February 1st 2025

Eligibility

  • Open to all residents of the UAE,  including students, teachers, and adult writers
  • Work must be written in English, be original and unpublished. Collaborative entries are permitted if clearly credited.

Guidelines

  • Explore how stories, traditions, or memories shape identity, belonging, and imagination for the future.
  • Up to 5,000 words.
  • Submissions that contain plagiarised, AI-generated, or offensive material will be disqualified.
  • By submitting, authors grant Sahab Collective the right to publish their work (print and digital) if shortlisted.

Winners

All participants will receive a certificate of participation.

Selected entries will:
  • Be featured in The Sahab Collective journal
  • Invitation to a public reading and award ceremony in Dubai.
  • Invited to a creative mentorship subscription.
Academy to collective

From Competition to Community

Their Past, Our Future is a first step into a wider creative journey.

At Sahab Collective, writers move from isolation to authorship through structure, mentorship, and community. Whether you are a student, teacher, or adult writer, Sahab provides the path from idea to finished work.

Our courses balance rigour and flexibility with live workshops, feedback, and publication opportunities. Rooted in Dubai and informed by global thought, Sahab builds a community where writers grow together with purpose and precision.

Sahab Collective

Community. Collaboration. Creativity.
About
Founded to bridge the gap between artistic theory and lived experience, Sahab offers long-form courses, workshops, and mentorship that help writers and artists move from first ideas to finished, publishable work.
Rooted in Dubai and connected to global thought, Sahab builds spaces for collaboration, reflection, and growth - Sahab is where creativity becomes a shared pursuit and learning is a lifelong art.

Course reviews

"Prior to joining the community, I wrote mostly for myself and never for who might be reading. Through thoughtful feedback and conversation, I began to understand how audience shapes meaning and how a story sounds when it’s heard, not just written."
Dr Cybelle Yazbeck
Dentist
"Reading my own work aloud and listening to others gave me a new perspective on tone, pacing, and clarity. It’s the first time I’ve truly felt part of a community that reads with care and helps you see your writing in a different light."
Joe Lattouf
Graphic Designer
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