Tunisian President welcomes Arab Reading Challenge champions home

Dubai: Tunisian President Kais Saied on Saturday received 12-year-old twins Bisan and Baylasan Kouka at Carthage Palace in Tunis, after their victory in the ninth edition of the Arab Reading Challenge, where they captivated audiences with their eloquence and depth of understanding.

The twin sisters who claimed the top prize of Dh500,000 after reading 600 books, thanked His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) for launching and supporting the Arab Reading Challenge, the world’s largest Arabic-language reading competition.

They also expressed gratitude to the organisers and national coordinators of the competition. President Saied expressed his deep pride in the achievement, describing it as a moment of honour for all Tunisians. He extended his warmest congratulations to the twin sisters, saying he was struck not only by their presence but by the eloquence and maturity of their words, which resonated far beyond Tunisia’s borders.

“Their statements, remarkable for their structure, fluency, depth of thought and mastery of Arabic, the language of the Qur’an, reflected wisdom well beyond their years,” President Saied said, adding: “Arabic is a language built on roots that make its youth eternal, it never ages, and it never dies.”

The president met the sisters in the presence of their parents, praising them as true ambassadors for Tunisia and urging them to continue their journey of learning and excellence.

“Bisan and Baylasan were fine representatives of Tunisia, the kind of ambassadors our country takes pride in,” he added.

The Kouka twins returned to Tunisia earlier this week, arriving at Carthage International Airport to a warm welcome from family members, representatives of the Ministry of Education, and figures from the country’s educational and cultural sectors, all eager to celebrate their historic win.

Their victory marks an unprecedented moment for Tunisia in the Arab Reading Challenge, which this year drew participation from over 32 million students representing 132,112 schools under the supervision of more than 161,000 teachers and coordinators across the Arab world and beyond.

As champions of the ninth edition of the competition, Bisan and Baylasan were awarded a prize of Dh500,000 during the grand finale in Dubai. Their triumph not only crowns years of dedication to reading but also shines a light on Tunisia’s strong tradition of scholarship and love of language.