I am happy that an Arab generation has rekindled its interest in reading, says Mohammed Bin Rashid

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, reflected on the impact of the Arab Reading Challenge, stating that through it, "our new generations have proven themselves ready to carry the torch of Arab civilisation and its timeless language."

Organised under the patronage and in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Arab Reading Challenge is set to honour winners of its 8th edition during a ceremony scheduled for Oct.23 at Dubai Opera.

Sheikh Mohammed said, "Now in its eighth year, the Arab Reading Challenge has engaged an impressive 28 million students from 229,000 schools across 50 countries. I am immensely proud of this generation's renewed embrace of reading, and confident that their knowledge and hope will empower them to navigate the future.

"Arab generations are passionate about reading; they have the awareness and capability to build a better future. A nation that embraces reading as a guiding principle will never fade,” he added.

In addition to the ‘Arab Reading Champion 2024,’ the ceremony will honour and acknowledge the People of Determination Champion, Best School, Outstanding Supervisor and Community Champion.

In its 8th season, the Arab Reading Challenge recorded unprecedented participation, with over 28.2 million students from 50 countries, representing 229,620 schools and guided by 154,643 supervisors.

Mohammad Bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Secretary-General of Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI), emphasised the continued growth and record participation of the Arab Reading Challenge, launched by Sheikh Mohammed in 2015, attracting more than 131 million students, along with hundreds of thousands of schools and dedicated teachers, over the course of 8 editions. He attributed this success to Sheikh Mohammed's vision of prioritising human capital and empowering youth through knowledge and reading, enriching the Arab cultural landscape and strengthening their connection to the Arabic language as a cornerstone of Arab identity.

Al Gergawi added, "The Arab Reading Challenge continues its trajectory of success. In its eighth season, it has established itself as a model ecosystem for knowledge competitions, engaging millions of passionate students and promoting reading as a catalyst for cultural exchange and a brighter future."

MBRGI, organiser of the Challenge, has set the stage to announce winners of the 8th edition across all categories.

 The winner of the Arab Reading Champion title receives a monetary award of Dhs500,000, while the 2nd and 3rd place winners receive Dhs100,000 and Dhs70,000 respectively.

Recognising determination

In the People of Determination category, the Reading Champion receives an award of Dhs200,000, while the 2nd and 3rd place winners receive Dhs100,000 and Dhs50,000, respectively.

Qualifying students in this category include Saif Nabil Zein (Qatar), Abdullah Jaafar Baqer (Bahrain), Ali Mohammed Ali Jibril (Ministry of Education — Egypt), Mohammed Ahmed Hassan Abdul Halim (Al Azhar Al Sharif), Kawthar Al Qurashi (Morocco), Latifa Al Azemi (Kuwait), RAEDSami Al Awaisha (Jordan), Joan Assem Asaad (Palestine), Sulaiman Khamis Sulaiman Al Khadim (UAE), Mahjouba Hamoud (Mauritania), Abrar Mazhar Alawi (Iraq), Youssef Ibrahim (Syria), Leen Haitham Al Rimah (Lebanon), Habiba Misbah Ammar Al Lafi (Libya), Louay Al Sharif (Tunisia), and Raneem Fahad Al Lahibi (Saudi Arabia).

The Community Champion title winner receives Dhs100,000 while 2nd and 3rd place winners receive Dhs70,000 and Dhs30,000 respectively.

Best School

The Best School award will be given to the school that has successfully implemented the qualifying stage of the Arab Reading Challenge, attracted the largest participation and set high records for reading and summarising 50 books by each participating student. Schools also need to implement various initiatives and community activities to encourage participation. The first-place winner receives an award of Dhs1 million, while 2nd and 3rd placeholders win Dhs500,000 and Dhs300,000, respectively.

Schools that have qualified for the final state and compete for the title include Al Khawarizmi Primary School for Girls (Qatar), Sitra Secondary School for Girls (Bahrain), Zahour Al Yasmin Private School (Ministry of Education - Egypt), Iqra Foundation (Morocco), Arwa Bint Abdul Muttalib School (Kuwait), Abdullah II School for Excellence (Jordan), Awarta Secondary School for Girls (Palestine), Al Ibdaa’ Model School — Cycle 1 (UAE), Bab Al Hikma School (Mauritania), The First High School for the Gifted (Iraq), Al-Kumait Gifted School (Syria), Al Bashaer Secondary School (Lebanon), Al Fateh Foundation Education School (Libya), Manzel Salem Middle School (Tunisia), and Abu Talha Al Ansari Secondary School (Saudi Arabia).

Outstanding supervisors

The Outstanding Supervisor award will be given to the supervisor who made the most impact in terms of instilling a love of reading among students, facilitating their participation and guiding their journey. The award for the first-place winner is Dhs300,000. 2nd and 3rd place winners receive Dhs100,000 and Dhs50,000, respectively.

Qualifying supervisors from each participating country include Nashwa Saad Ahmed (Qatar), Shaikha Mubarak Al Dhaheri (Bahrain), Eman Morsy Al Sayed Morsy (Ministry of Education - Egypt), Najat Sherbeka (Morocco), Afrah Al Matootah (Kuwait), Rami Ahmed Al Harahsheh (Jordan), Fadi Abdul Rahman Abu Hamda (Palestine), Assem Abara (UAE), Al Mustafa Mohamed Injeh (Mauritania), Omar Kamal (Iraq), Rabie Ahmed (Syria), Linda Hussein Wehbe (Lebanon), Rabie Ali Faraj Al Shnakieh (Libya), Sana Al Zarrad (Tunisia), and Mishal bin Ayed Al Malki (Saudi Arabia).

Success story

The unprecedented participation recorded for the 8th Arab Reading Challenge is a continuation of its success story since its launch. With each edition recording a higher level of participation from inside and outside the Arab world, the total number of students taking part across the 8 editions amounts to 131 million students from 795,000 schools, guided by a total of 716,000 supervisors.

Launched in the academic year 2015-2016 under directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Arab Reading Challenge aims to prepare a future generation who loves reading and knowledge, capable of expressing their identity in Arabic and are keen on learning and using this rich language in their day-to-day interactions.

The Arab Reading Challenge also helps build a value system that encourages youth to learn about other cultures, which instills the principles of tolerance and coexistence and opens the door for a global open dialogue.

WAM