The prize was awarded following the publication of his book "Bab El-Oued". The Algerian writer has already received awards for his books, including the Naguib-Mahfouz Literary Prize awarded by the American University in Cairo (2021) for his novel "Ikhtifaa Assayid La Ahad" (Disappearance of Mr Person) and the Tayeb-Salih Prize for Creative Writing in Sudan (2014) for his book "Maout Naiim" (Sweet Death).