Sultan Salem Al Mazrouie

Fifth grader Sultan Al Mazrouie has been named the UAE’s Arab Reading Champion, after outperforming 452,000 participating students.

Announced during a remote event, Al Mazrouie from Ajyal International School in Abu Dhabi won the national competition of this year’s Arab Reading Challenge that involved 90 semi-finalists, selected from a larger pool of 540 contenders.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, on Thursday congratulated the Emirati student Sultan Salem Al Mazrouie on winning title of the Arab Reading Challenge Champion-2020 in the UAE.

Sheikh Mohammed said on Twitter, “Sultan Salem Al Mazrouei, 11, read 300 books in one year. Over 452,000 students from the UAE participated in the Arab Reading Challenge, which saw participation of 21 million students in total from 51 countries around the world. A salute to Sultan and a salute to an Arab reading generation that is capable to compete. "

The 11-year-old bagged the award after the committee selected him out of 10 finalists. He read 300 books in history, philosophy, literature and science.

Moza Al Ghannah was named this year’s “Outstanding Supervisor” for her efforts in supporting and empowering students to read and summarise books digitally, while Atika Bint Zaid Basic Education School bagged the UAE’s “Best School” award, beating 1,435 public and private schools.

Al Mazrouie will represent the UAE in the regional finals of the 5^th edition of the Arab Reading Challenge that will crown the winner out of a whopping 21 million participating students from 51 countries around the world.

The final qualifications to select one winner from each country to join the Challenge’s semi-finals are currently taking place remotely amid health restrictions and distance learning education strategies posed by the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.

Students are evaluated based on text comprehension, critical thinking, self-expression and reading diversity.

The Arab Reading Challenge, launched by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, has had an exceptional role this year in encouraging students to read at home as cities around the world went on lockdown to control the spread of COVID-19. Students were provided with a big selection of reading options online and digital files to summarize their reading material.  

The Challenge aims to make reading a lifestyle among school students as part of the wider mission to nurture a knowledgeable and enlightened young generation.

Al Mazrouie’s victory echoes last year’s UAE winner Mezna Najeeb from Al Ebdaa Model School in Dubai who bagged the award as a 5th grader after outperforming students from 1,412 public and private schools.

Remote event

The national awards ceremony took place remotely with the attendance of Jameela Al Muhairi, Minister of State for Public Education, Dr. Amna Al Dahak Al Shamsi, Assistant Undersecretary for Care and Activities Sector at the Ministry of Education, Dr. Rabaa Al Sumaiti, Assistant Undersecretary for the Performance Improvement Sector, and Muna Al Kindi, Secretary General of the Arab Reading Challenge alongside school faculty, experts, academics and judging committee members.

Jameela Al Muhairi said this year’s overwhelming participation from the UAE reflects the passion of the future generation to learn and read in different scope of fields.

Congratulating the winners and finalists, she said, “Thanks to our leadership, reading has become an integral part of life for school students and fundamental to their learning experience. Reading takes students to explore the world beyond their academic knowledge and equips them to develop themselves beyond educational realms. By indulging in different fields, they discover where their true passion lies, moving them closer to use their talents to lead their communities, and wider society, into a brighter future.”

Muna Al Kindi, Secretary General of the Arab Reading Challenge, said, “Declaring the Arab Reading Champion on a national level is a celebration of the efforts of thousands of students, teachers, supervisors, parents and school administrations. This year has been exceptional in driving students and faculty members to adjust to the digital learning system, and with determination and passion for learning, they were able to sustain the Challenge’s goals during these challenging times.”

She added, “The purpose of the Challenge is to introduce and foster a passion for learning among school students and we continue to succeed in uniting young people from all over the world towards knowledge. This unity has created hope and inspired students to turn the difficulties of the global pandemic into an opportunity to use the time at home in nurturing their skills, a life lesson they will take on throughout their lives.”

UAE’s finalists

Shahd Rashid Al Yamahi, grade 11, Al Tawyeen School

Shahd Salem Abdullah Al Mazrouei, grade 5, Al Salam School – Charter Schools

Jamila Hassan Al Zaabi, grade 11, Al Shefa bint Abdulla School

Mashael Talal Mohammed, grade 12, Zayed School Complex

Mohammed Ibrahim Al Bloushi, grade 11, Al Dhmaa School

Mohammed Ali Al Ketbi, grade 10, Al Dhaid Secondary School

Reem Ali Salem, grade 11, Shamal Secondary School

Islam Hazem, grade 12, Qatr Al Nahda Secondary School

Ahmed Mohammed, grade 11, Tunb Secondary School