A Writing Competition Open to Everyone in the UAE, in Any Language
Quick answer: Writing competition open to the UAE: Writory's monthly short story contest accepts original stories of 100 to 3,000 words in any genre, in English, Arabic, Malayalam or any language, for $8 a story. Judging is blind against a published rubric, every entrant receives a certificate and a score out of 100 on 30 November 2026, and the winner takes $100.
One story of 100 to 3,000 words for $8, about AED 29, closing 25 November 2026 at 11:59 PM IST, and every entrant receives a certificate and a five-part score out of 100.
Between the Emirates LitFest and the Sharjah Book Fair
The UAE's literary calendar is festival-shaped. The Emirates Airline Festival of Literature has filled Dubai each winter since 2009. The Sharjah International Book Fair runs every November, the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair every spring, and the Sheikh Zayed Book Award and the International Prize for Arabic Fiction are announced from Abu Dhabi. Sharjah was UNESCO World Book Capital in 2019. These reward published work or bring authors to talk; almost none takes a single story from an unknown resident.
Writory does exactly that. Enter by 25 November 2026 at 11:59 PM IST, and on 30 November 2026 you receive a certificate and five marks out of 100 against a published rubric: Storytelling & Structure 25, Character & Emotional Impact 25, Language & Craft 20, Originality & Voice 20, Impact & Resonance 10. It is a monthly training round, not a Zayed Award, and we say so.
Nine million residents, and every language among them
Most people in the UAE were born somewhere else, and the languages spoken in a Dubai tower block on any evening include Arabic, English, Malayalam, Hindi, Urdu, Tagalog, Bengali and Tamil. Writory accepts any language and reads each story in its own language, in the one pool, against the same rubric. A Malayalam story from Karama and an Arabic story from Al Ain are judged by readers of those languages.
Judging is blind, so no name, nationality, visa status or employer reaches the panel. Writers keep all rights, and entering does not publish the story. If a writer in Sharjah wants to send the same story to an Arabic prize later, they can. The sister poetry contest has published dated winners from India, the United States, Ireland, Kenya and Slovenia.
The deadline in Dubai time
Entries close on 25 November 2026 at 11:59 PM IST. The UAE runs on Gulf Standard Time, an hour and a half behind India, with no daylight saving on either side, so the deadline is 10:29 PM the same evening in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah, every round of the year. Late enough for after work, early enough for sleep.
The first contest runs from 1 September to 25 November 2026 at 11:59 PM IST, with results and certificates on 30 November 2026. From December the contest is monthly: entries close on the 25th, results on the 30th, and the next round opens the moment they land. Stories must be original, 100 to 3,000 words, any genre, from writers aged 13 or over, entered online at /submit-story. The first round closes the same month the Sharjah fair opens, which is a fair reminder.
Paying in dollars from a dirham card
The fee is $8 for one story, $14 for two, $25 for five, in US dollars. Because the dirham is pegged to the dollar at 3.6725, one story is about AED 29, and that number does not drift. Payment runs through PayPal, which accepts a PayPal balance or a Visa or Mastercard as a guest; Emirates NBD, FAB, ADCB and Mashreq cards work for international online charges, and some add a small foreign-currency fee.
The prize of $100 is paid by PayPal, which operates in the UAE and withdraws to a local bank account. Both the fee and the prize are fixed in dollars, and with the peg that means fixed in dirhams too. Winners also enter the next round free, and that is the only free entry. Writory Academy Story Craft is a free six-lesson course at /academy/story-craft for anyone who wants the rubric explained before the deadline.
The published rubric, 100 points
- Storytelling & Structure (25 points): Does every scene cause the next, and does the ending pay off the opening?
- Character & Emotional Impact (25 points): Do we want something with your character, and does the story make us feel it?
- Language & Craft (20 points): Clean, deliberate prose: rhythm, precision, and nothing wasted.
- Originality & Voice (20 points): The angle only you could write, told in a voice that sounds like nobody else.
- Impact & Resonance (10 points): What the story leaves behind after the last line.
How it works
Submit an original story of 100 to 3,000 words by 25 November 2026 at 11:59 PM IST. Every story is judged blind against the rubric above, and results arrive on 30 November 2026: every entrant receives a certificate with their name and a score out of 100. Writers keep all rights. Monthly winners earn free entry to the next round. Enter at https://writoryofficial.com/submit-story.
Common questions
Can expatriates in the UAE enter?
Yes. Anyone aged 13 or over living in the UAE, on any visa or none, can enter online at /submit-story. There is no nationality or residency condition, and judging is blind.
How much is entry in dirhams?
The fee is fixed in US dollars: $8 for one story, $14 for two, $25 for five. With the dirham pegged at 3.6725 to the dollar, one story is about AED 29.
What does every entrant receive?
A certificate in your name and a score out of 100 with all five rubric marks, on 30 November 2026, whether or not you place, with a verification link.
What time does the competition close in Dubai?
25 November 2026 at 11:59 PM IST, which is 10:29 PM the same evening in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. There is no daylight saving on either side, so it never moves.
Can I write in Arabic, Malayalam or Urdu?
Yes. Any language is accepted, each story is read in its own language, and all entries compete in one pool against the same rubric.
Can school students in Dubai or Abu Dhabi enter for a certificate?
Yes, from age 13, individually, with no school sign-up. Every entrant receives a certificate with a verification link and a five-part score, which is more useful for a university application than a participation stamp.
More story contest pages
About Writory
Writory (writoryofficial.com) is an international monthly poetry contest founded in 2025 by Shivay Mehra. Poets from 31 countries have entered, readers come from over 150 countries, and every submitted poem is judged and scored out of 100 across five criteria: creativity, emotion, structure, language and impact and resonance. Every entrant receives a certificate; winners receive cash prizes and are published by name. Entries close on the 25th of each month and results are announced on the 30th. Writory is listed by Duotrope, Poetry Kit, Christopher Fielden's competition list and Creative Writing NZ, among other organisations. Past results are public at past winners and the leaderboard.