The first edition of the Ibn Battuta Prize, sponsored by the Emirati poet Mohamed Ahmed Souidi, took place in 2003. The yearly prize is given to the best works of travel literature, with the ambition of reviving Arab interest in geographical literature.
The winners in the following categories are:
- Translated Journey: Emirati doctor Naeema Al Hosani and Iraqi academic Hadi Abdullah Al Taï.
- The Realized Journey: Jordanian doctor Issa Bahouma and Moroccan writer Muhammad Ainak.
- Studies: Yemeni writer Hafez Qassem Saleh Sadiq
- Contemporary Travel: Lina Hoyan Al Hassan from Syria and Dr. Ammar Ali from Egypt.