Sheikh Zayed Award for Best Contribution to the Development of the Country includes works in the fields of economics, sociology, politics, law and theology from the perspective of developing and building the country, theoretically or their implementation on a limited scale.

Sheikh Zayed Award for Children's Literature includes literary and cultural works especially dedicated for children of various age groups, whether fictitious, historical or scientific in appealing and simplified versions.

Sheikh Zayed's Book Award includes nine different categories.

Sheikh Zayed Award for the Young Author includes scientific, literary and cultural works that deal with social sciences, literature, arts and technology. Candidates must not be over 40 years old.

Sheikh Zayed Award for Translation includes works that are translated directly from their original languages, either from or to Arabic in the fields of sociology, literature, arts and cultural technology provided that these works respect intellectual property rights and preserve the aesthetic character of the original works.

Sheikh Zayed Award for Literature includes poetry, short stories, novels and plays, whether the work is fictitious or a literary criticism.

Sheikh Zayed Award for Fine Arts includes books about plastic art, calligraphy, sculpture, architecture, music, folklore, cinema, photography and digital arts.

Sheikh Zayed Award for the Best Technology in the Field of Culture includes written and digitally recorded works that promote Arabic language whether by individuals or research centers.

Sheikh Zayed Award for Publishing and Distribution goes to the best publisher, distributor or publishing house that publishes books in various fields of culture. Books must be of exceptional quality in layout and print.