Gulf Today, Staff Reporter
Under the patronage and in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Arab Reading Challenge will crown the champions of its tenth edition on 29 October 2026, during the closing ceremony at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum emphasised that the UAE remains committed to serving the Arabic language and nurturing new generations who believe that progress and growth begin with reading and acquiring knowledge.
His Highness stated: “The future of a nation begins with nurturing its young minds. Our investment in the Reading Challenge is an investment in a better future for all.”
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum added: “For centuries, the Arabic language served as the driving force for human and social progress. It will restore its former glory once again with the dedication and brilliant minds of its youth.”
The 10th Arab Reading Challenge closing ceremony will feature the crowning of the Arab Reading Challenge 2026 Champion, the People of Determination Champion and winners of the Best School, the Outstanding Supervisor and the Communities Champion titles.
This year’s edition of the Arabic Reading Challenge, organised by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Makoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI), recorded the largest participation in its history, drawing 40,286,428 students across 60 countries, including 74,062 students in the People of Determination category. This massive participation marks a 24% increase of the Challenge’s 9th edition and represents 48% of all school students across the Arab World. The 10th edition also engaged 138,426 schools and 161,507 supervisors.
Nurturing open-minded generations
Mohammad Al Gergawi, Secretary General of MBRGI, affirmed that the Arab Reading Challenge reflects the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to prioritise nurturing knowledgeable, open-minded generations, by equipping youth with the tools of learning and an environment that supports reading and knowledge acquisition, deepening their appreciation for the Arabic language, encouraging them to explore global literature and culture, and empowering them to cultivate independent thought and self-awareness to guide their personal and professional futures.
Al Gergawi stated: “The 10th edition is a major milestone for the Arab Reading Challenge, drawing a record-breaking participation of over 40 million students and expanding across 60 countries for the first time. This remarkable reach reflects the deep appreciation and support the initiative commands across the Arab world and beyond, from communities and governments alike."
Top honours
MBRGI announced it will honour the 10th Arab Reading Challenge Country-Level Champions during the closing ceremony. The ultimate Arab Reading Challenge Champion will receive an award of Dhs500,000, while the 2nd and 3rd place winners will receive prizes worth Dhs100,000 and Dhs70,000, respectively.
Winners in the People of Determination category receive cash prizes of Dhs200,000 for 1st place, Dhs100,000 for 2nd place and Dhs50,000 for 3rd place. This category was added during the Challenge’s 7th edition and requires participants to read a total of 25 books.
Winners in the Community Champion category receive a total of Dhs200,000, of which Dhs100,000 goes to the 1st place winner, Dhs70,000 for 2nd place winner and Dhs30,000 for 3rd place winner. This category is open to students living outside the Arab world, non-native Arabic speakers and those learning Arabic as a second language.
The school receiving the Best School title will receive a prize of Dhs1 million, while the schools in the 2nd and 3rd place will receive Dhs500,000 and Dhs300,000, respectively.
Awards for the Outstanding Supervisor category are Dhs300,000 for 1st place, Dhs100,000 for 2nd place and Dhs50,000 for 3rd place.
This brings the total amount of prizes awarded since the launch of the Challenge to its current edition to Dhs110 million, with 11 million awarded to the winners annually.
Shortlists
Country-level champions in this year’s Arab Reading Challenge will be vying for the Arab Reading Challenge 2026 Champion title. The list includes: Khadija Bumelik (Morocco), Bana Omar Abdullah (Syria), Omar Mohammed Al Ameri (Qatar), Nour Osama Al Kandari (Kuwait), Lujain Ahmed Abed (Iraq), Mayar Mohammed Ragab Othman (Egypt), Sondos Mohammed Al Sayyed Rehab (Al Azhar Al Sharif), Ghazal Rashad Adel Tayyem (Palestine), Raneem Murshid Al Darweesh (Bahrain), Rayan bin Adeeb Ali Al Zakeri (KSA), Aya Mahmoud Mansour Al Tahat (Jordan), Di Shaikhen Al Zamraki (Mauritania), Danah Adel Al Zarouni (UAE), Yasmin Abdulhamid Al Butti (Libya), Baha Maymouni (Tunisia), Manissa Bilal Abu Mahmoud (Lebanon) and Mejalli Abdulrahman Ali Abdullah (Yemen).
Shortlisted participants in the People of Determination category includes: Hamza Kameli (Morocco), Mahmoud Imran (Syria), Lina Mohammed Farouq (Qatar), Abdullah Mahmoud Al Mutairi (Kuwait), Sajjad Hassan Mohammed (Iraq), Mohammed Abduljawad Abdulnabi Nagdi (Egypt), Mohammed Al Amir Zakariya Riyad (Al Azhar Al Sharif), Ghazal Ismail Sidqi Daraghmeh (Palestine), Batool Al Sayyed Rida Sharaf (Bahrain), Yousef Mohammed Saeed Hamed (UAE), Rawasi Ramadan Belqasem (Libya), Rawan Ashbooli (Tunisia), Ahmed Ali Qutaish (Lebanon) and Sana Mahmoud Hassan Al Humairi (Yemen).
Shortlisted supervisors competing for the Outstanding Supervisor title include: Ezzeddine Al Muwansi (Morocco), Alaa Nasser Sharookh (Syria), Hisham Badreddine Al Sayyed (Qatar), Budoor Faleh Meteb Al Asqa (Kuwait), Dalia Hassanin Ahmed (Egypt), Bani Suwaif area (Al Azhar Al Sharif), Ahed Saleh Aburrob (Palestine), Aysha Al Atawi (Bahrain), Hanan Ali Al Hazemi (KSA), Fakhri Mahmoud Mayyas (Jordan), Mohammedo Mohammed Al Amin Mohammed Al Sheikh (Mauritania), Naima Al Amiri (UAE), Awatef Ali Al Shaheyye (Libya), Munir Al Furaiji (Tunisia), Haidar Mushawrab (Lebanon) and Intisar Hassan Amer Al Awadi (Yemen).
Schools competing for the Best School title include: Lycée Qualifiant Moulay Idriss (Morocco), Al Maha Academy for Boys (Qatar), Al Yarmouk High School for Girls (Kuwait), Martyr Mahmoud Al-Maghrabi Primary School (Egypt), Al Israa Private High School for Boys (Palestine), Saar Secondary School for Girls (Bahrain), Al Aziziyah Private Primary School for Girls (KSA), Al-Khalidiyah Secondary Comprehensive Mixed School (Jordan), Afaaq Al Mostaqbal School (Mauritania), Hamad bin Abdullah Al Sharqi School - Cycle 3 (UAE), Sidi Amer School (Tunisia), Sisters of Saint Joseph School (Lebanon) and Al Nawras School (Yemen).
Accomplishments
The Arab Reading Challenge has recorded more than 1.065 million school participations, while the total number of participating reading supervisors across its 10 editions reached over 1.193 million.
Since its launch in 2015, the Arab Reading Challenge has achieved extraordinary success. Participation in the 10th edition soared by 1,019% compared to the inaugural edition, which saw 3.6 million students take part.
The 9th edition brought together 32.231 million students from 50 countries, representing 132,112 schools under the guidance of 161,004 supervisors. The main title was awarded to Tunisian twins Bisan and Baylasan Kouka, while Maria Hassan Ajil from Iraq claimed first place in the People of Determination category.
The Outstanding School title was jointly awarded to Atika Bint Zaid School (Cycle 1) from the UAE and Tarablus Al Haddadin School from Lebanon. Sahar Misbah from Egypt was named Outstanding Supervisor, while Jehad Mohammad Murad from Italy earned first place in the International Communities category.
Honing skills
The Arab Reading Challenge was launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum 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.