Final qualifying round begins for ‘Community Champion’

The final qualifying round for the Community Champion title as part of the 9th Arab Reading Challenge, the world’s largest Arabic literacy and reading initiative, kicked off today in Dubai.

Winners of the top 3 places will be determined during this round, with the overall Arab Reading Champion announcement to take place during the Challenge’s concluding ceremony, which will be hosted at the Dubai World Trade Centre on 23rd October.

Students competing in the Community Champion category advanced through multiple stages over the course of the ninth edition.

In the final round in Dubai, they sit for an oral assessment that evaluates their individual skills. Contestants present, in eloquent Arabic, the key ideas and insights drawn from the 25 books they have read.

The judging panel assesses overall reading attainment and the students’ ability to express it in their own words.

Participants are expected to demonstrate strong discussion, critique, and analytical skills, connect ideas and concepts, and deliver masterfully and confidently.

The Community Champion category was introduced at the close of the Arab Reading Challenge’s second edition and launched in the third, opening participation to students outside the Arab world, learners of Arabic, and non-native speakers.

Mohammad Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Secretary-General of Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI), stated that the Arab Reading Challenge continues to mark key milestones; expanding its reach across the Arab world and beyond, positively influencing education and culture, and elevating the status of the Arabic language.

Al Gergawi noted how this reflects the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to prioritise knowledge in cultivating new generations, and to promote reading as the most effective pathway to nurturing minds and refining talents and capabilities.

Al Gergawi underscored the vital role of expatriate communities in preserving the Arabic language and promoting Arab culture where they live, stressing that their strong engagement with the Arab Reading Challenge, commitment to its mission and goals, and determination to participate annually are central to advancing its impact.

Operating under MBRGI, the Arab Reading Challenge has seen record participation in its ninth edition, with over 32 million students from 50 countries, representing 132,112 schools and guided by 161,004 supervisors.

Students who advanced to the Community Champion finals are: Tuqa Ahmed Hashim (Australia), Baraa Radwan Al Zaeem (Brazil), Jannat Arkan Mohammed (China), Masa Al Khateeb (Germany), Nawar Mawed (Norway), Lilia Burhan (Austria), Razan Hassan Al Masri (USA), Mirna Ahmed Shamsuddine (Greece), Jehad Mohammed Murad (Italy), Najmuddine Rashid Nemeh (England), Jood Naddaf (Belgium), Norseen Shorfi (Türkiye), Qassim Amed Qassim (Scotland), Alma Al Muti (Switzerland), Tahseen Yousef Al Droobi (Finland), Abdulrahman Mahmoud Badr (Canada), Tayem Al Elaiwi (Luxembourg), Ibtisam Adeeb (Malaysia), Yara Musa Eid (New Zealand), Zaid Sarhan (France), Raghad Mohammaed Ziad (The Netherlands), Mohammed Mafongal (India), Sondos Al Hindi (Ireland), Maria Naqawa (Sweden), Mariam Omar Adib (Denmark) and Rahmat Anchuri (Indonesia).

Community Champion title holders in the past six editions of the Arab Reading Challenge are: Tasneem Aidi from France (3rd edition), Mahmoud Bilal from Sweden (4th edition), Alexander Voros from Italy (5th edition), Nada Al Satri from Belgium (6th edition), Mohammed Abdulraqib Ali Ahmed Al Kawkabani from Malaysia (7th edition) and Mohammed Al-Refaie from Sweden (8th edition).

The Arab Reading Challenge was launched by Sheikh Mohammed in 2015 as the largest-ever Arab literacy initiative.

It aims to promote reading among students across the Arab world and beyond, strengthen language skills such as comprehension and clear self-expression, and nurture young Arabs’ love for the language and its everyday use.

It seeks to instill a lasting passion for knowledge and reading in new generations, equip them with the tools to create a better future and build their character.

WAM