Gergawi announces launch of 'Arab Reading Challenge Endowment' worth Dhs500m
- Last updated: October 23, 2025 | 18:47
Gulf Today, Staff Reporter
Mohammad Al Gergawi, Secretary-General of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI), stressed that the vision and significant support of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to the Arab Reading Challenge over the past decade, have established Challenge’s position as an inspiring platform for Arab knowledge and a key catalyst for instilling a passion for reading and a love of the Arabic language among new generations.
This support stems from Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid’s belief that an Arab generation that reads is a conscious generation capable of building a better future, Al Gergawi noted.
At a press conference held alongside the awards ceremony for the ninth Arab Reading Challenge, Al Gergawi announced the latest developments for the next Challenge. These include the signing of the 'Arab Reading Challenge Endowment', worth Dhs500 million.
Al Gergawi said that the Arab Reading Challenge had motivated school students to write and compose stories as part of a project launched alongside the ninth edition.
During the press conference, he addressed the Arab Reading Challenge’s key achievements, and its significant impact on the Arab cultural and educational scene and its role in elevating the status of the Arabic language.
The press conference was attended by 2025 Arab Reading Champions the twins Bisan an Baylasan Kouka from Tunisia, and Outstanding Supervisor title holder Sahar Misbah from Egypt.
Al Gergawi said, “In October 2015, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Arab Reading Challenge, at a time when the Arab world had some of the lowest reading rates globally. The figures we heard were shocking, at an average of just six minutes per year.”
He noted that the Challenge has helped increase reading time outside school from less than one hour per week before participation to more than four hours, roughly 200 hours annually.
Al Gergawi added, “The record achievements of the Arab Reading Challenge over nine editions underscore its strong impact across the Arab world and its importance to students. This is reflected in their eagerness to read and excel, and their pursuit of the title as a defining milestone in their academic journeys and a catalyst to achieving their educational and professional aspirations.”
During the press conference, His Excellency Al Gergawi highlighted the official and societal recognition the Arab Reading Challenge enjoys, including from all Arab educational institutions and the United Nations.
This recognition was reflected in a study conducted in partnership between MBRGI and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to measure the impact of the Arab Reading Challenge since its launch in 2015.
Al Gergawi noted that the study’s findings show how the Arab Reading Challenge, a decade after its launch, has had a profound impact on students’ reading habits across the Arab world and on the broader cultural landscape, evidenced by higher reading rates and greater attention to self-education before and after participation.
Al Gergawi pointed out that with the average number of books read per student per year increasing from about 8 before participation to more than 40 after participation.
The study focused on four main areas that addressed measuring the Challenge’s impact on students’ reading habits before and after their participation, assessing the Challenge’s contribution to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, evaluating its social and cultural impact and role in strengthening community engagement, and presenting recommendations to Arab ministries of education regarding education policies and the potential integration of the Arab Reading Challenge into national curricula.
The study shows that over 80 percent of participating students now read regularly, with a large proportion engaging in complementary activities such as summarising stories and writing essays and reflections. It also finds that 70 percent now have easier access to both print and digital books.
The data indicate that the number of students reading more than 50 books per year rose by 147 percent after participation. Daily or near-daily reading increased by 122 percent, and the average reading time exceeding 1 hour weekly grew by 157 percent.
The study shows a marked improvement in Arabic language skills, in terms of comprehension, writing vocabulary and style. Pride in the Arabic language and national identity also grew, with 71 percent of students saying that they feel more connected to their culture after taking part in the Challenge.
The Arab Reading Challenge contributed to diversifying students’ reading domains, with fiction, science, history, and self-development emerging as the most-read categories, reflecting broader intellectual and knowledge interests.
Finally, the study identified changes in reading patterns, with a marked increase in the use of digital books and online platforms alongside continued print reading. Teachers emerged as the most supportive drivers of intensive reading among participants, followed by families and then peers.
The 9th Arab Reading Challenge has crowned the twins Bisan and Baylasan Kouka from Tunisia its 2025 Arab Reading Champions. Maria Hassan Ojail from Iraq won the People of Determination Champion title. Atika Bint Zaid School – 1st Cycle from the UAE and Tarablus Al Haddadin School from Lebanon shared the Best School award. The winner of the Outstanding Supervisor title was Sahar Misbah from Egypt, and the winner of the Community Champion title was Jehad Mohammed Murad from Italy.
Over nine editions, the Arab Reading Challenge has attracted more than 163 million students, over 927,000 Arab school entries, and more than 877,000 reading supervisors.
Participation grew from 3.6 million students in the first edition to over 32 million in the ninth, which concluded on 23 October this year, representing an increase of more than 795 percent. The 9th edition alone included over 132,000 schools and more than 161,000 supervisors from 50 countries.
A key milestone was reached on 18 December 2024, when the Arab League invited Arab education ministries to adopt the Arab Reading Challenge as a curricular programme and support its expansion, recognising it as a leading knowledge and cultural project that strengthens Arabic as a vessel of Arab heritage and identity.
The Challenge awards a total of Dhs11 million annually, bringing total prizes since its 2015 launch to Dhs99 million, with Dhs500,000 for the overall Arab Reading Champion, Dhs1,000,000 for the Best School, Dhs300,000 for the Outstanding Supervisor, Dhs200,000 for the People of Determination Champion, and Dhs100,000 for the Community Champion.
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. The challenge also aims to shape youth’s value system by exposing them to the customs, beliefs, and traditions of other cultures.