Professor at Mohammed V University in Rabat, the Moroccan critic was awarded for "the excellence of his interpretation of ancient Arab narratives through meticulous research as well as for his ability to present the Arab narrative to the general public in a clear and precise manner," the jury said.

Abdelfattah Kilito is an Arabic and French-speaking writer and critic who has worked extensively on the renewal of Arabic literary studies, to which he has devoted several books. Many of his works have been translated into other languages such as English, Spanish and Italian.

Kilito has also participated in numerous colloquia and conferences on Arabic and French literature, as part of meetings and cultural dialogues organized in Morocco and abroad. He has also received several awards in the fields of criticism and literary studies.

The total value of the prizes in the five categories of the King Faisal Prize is 1 million dollars. They are awarded annually to scientists, intellectuals and men of letters who have made scientific contributions for the benefit of humanity. The different categories are medicine, science, Islamic studies, Arabic language and literature, and service to Islam.