Arab Reading Challenge to crown UAE champion in Dubai after record 830,000 student participation
Global initiative attracts over 40.2 million participants across 60 countries
DUBAI – The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will celebrate the winners of the 10th edition of the Arab Reading Challenge on Wednesday during a major ceremony at the Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo Dubai.
The event comes after a record-breaking year for the initiative, with more than 830,000 students from schools across the country taking part. The milestone marks the highest national participation since the challenge was launched a decade ago.
The ceremony will be held in the presence of Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority. It will also be attended by Sarah bint Yousef Al Amiri, Minister of Education, along with senior government officials, educators, representatives of the Arab Reading Challenge, and leading figures from the education and knowledge sectors. Finalists, teachers and parents are also expected to attend in large numbers.
Record participation
During the ceremony, organisers will announce the UAE champion of the 10th edition of the Arab Reading Challenge. Awards will also be presented to the first-place winner in the People of Determination category, the recipient of the Outstanding Supervisor award, and the school named Best School.
The Arab Reading Challenge, one of the flagship initiatives under the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI), recorded unprecedented participation worldwide this year. The 10th edition attracted 40,286,428 students from 60 countries, representing 138,426 schools and supported by 161,507 supervisors.
Previous winners
Last year's national competition saw Reem Al Zarouni from Abu Dhabi crowned UAE champion after more than 810,000 students from 1,380 schools participated in the country-level qualifiers under the guidance of more than 2,005 supervisors.
The ninth edition also recognised Zahra Hamad Ibrahim from Dubai as the Outstanding Supervisor, while Atika Bint Zaid School in Sharjah received the Best School award. Abdullah Ahmad Rashid Abdullah Al Dhanhani from Fujairah secured first place in the People of Determination category.
Arab Reading Challenge
Launched during the 2015-2016 academic year under the directives 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 has grown into the world's largest Arabic-language reading initiative.
The programme encourages students across the Arab world and beyond to develop a lifelong reading habit while strengthening creative thinking and expanding knowledge. It also seeks to reinforce the status of the Arabic language as a language of science, literature and learning, encourage its daily use among younger generations, and equip students with the knowledge and skills needed for the future.
Beyond promoting reading, the initiative supports the values of tolerance, coexistence and acceptance, while encouraging young people to broaden their horizons, engage with different cultures and realise their full potential.