Watch: Sheikh Mohammed announces Arab Reading Challenge finale in Dubai
Arab Reading Champion, other winners of total Dh1.9 million in prizes to be honoured
Dubai: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Friday announced that the final ceremony of the sixth edition of the Arab Reading Challenge, which will be held in-person for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, is scheduled on November 10 at Dubai Opera.
Sheikh Mohammed highlighted that the Arab Reading Challenge is the largest and most successful investment in Arab minds, to regain the glories of the Arab civilisation, by creating new generations that are capable of advancing their societies.
He tweeted: “6 years ago, we have launched the Arab Reading Challenge, believing that the path to civilization starts with reading… Next Thursday, we celebrate 22 million students from 92,000 schools who participated in the sixth session of the largest Arab competition.”
Sheikh Mohammed added: “Millions of Arab youth rush to read 50 books every year, which is a push to a better future for all of us... Since its launch in 2015, the Arab Reading Challenge has attracted the participation of nearly 79 million students. They are the beacon of knowledge that will drive our development in the coming decades.
"We’ve always believed in the generations of the future, and the Arab Reading Challenge proves for the sixth time in a row that our efforts are well directed.”
He also expressed confidence in all participants, saying: “The Arab Reading Challenge has proven that passion for knowledge cannot be tamed, and that our Arab youth are capable of realising our hopes and dreams.
“The Arab Reading Challenge celebrates the three key elements that make up the spirit of our people – passion for knowledge, youth’s maturity, and the Arabic language.”
The Arab Reading Champion will receive a valuable prize to support them in broadening their knowledge and pursuing greater academic achievements to further improve their capabilities and share their experiences with peers.
Success story
Mohammad Al Gergawi, Secretary-General of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, said that the vision of Sheikh Mohammed for launching the Arab Reading Challenge and expanding it globally has advanced the culture of reading across the Arab world. The challenge created new energy that revived Arabic language, enriched Arabic content, and shed light on the capabilities of a new and ambitious generation of Arabic readers and lovers.
He added: “The Arab Reading Challenge is a success story and an exemplary model of meaningful and effective initiatives that spread knowledge, empower communities, build the future, and support the global education community.”
Al Gergawi noted that Sheikh Mohammed’s positive thought formed the foundation for valuable initiatives that enable Arabs to actively contribute to development. He said: “The Arab Reading Challenge is a great example of this positive thinking that creates solutions through initiatives and recognizes creative and hardworking individuals.”
The minister added that Dubai, which will host the closing ceremony of the Arab Reading Challenge on November 10, will remain the destination for all innovators and pioneers who aspire to a better future.
Best School Award
The final ceremony will include the announcement of the winner of the Best School Award in the sixth edition of the Arab Reading Challenge, after being selected among 92,583 participating schools.
The winning school will be recognised for its efforts and receive a prize to boost its ability to encourage students to make reading a habit and increase their knowledge.
Outstanding Supervisor
The ceremony will also include the announcement of the Outstanding Supervisor. Selected out of 126,061 supervisors who contribute to empowering students, the winner will receive a prize to support their efforts in empowering future generations with reading skills.
Community Champions Award
At the closing ceremony of the Arab Reading Challenge, the community champion will also be announced out of 23 Arab students living in foreign countries, with participations from different non-Arab countries.
Encouraging prizes
The Arab Reading Challenge offers a prize of Dh1 million for the Best School, Dh500,000 for the first champion, Dh300,000 for the Outstanding Supervisor, and Dh100,000 for the Community Champion.
Selection criteria
Those qualified for the final round were selected according to comprehensive criteria, after implementing integrated electronic rounds by the judging panels. All entries were evaluated according to the standards adopted since the launch of the challenge.
The number of participants in a single edition of the Arab Reading Challenge continues to increase year-on-year. Around 3.5 million students participated in the first edition, with the number doubling in the second edition to more than seven million students. As the third edition allowed entries from outside the Arab world, the number of participants came close to 10.5 million. The number of participants in the fourth edition of the challenge exceeded 13.5 million students from 49 countries, while the number of participants in the fifth edition reached more than 20 million students. This sixth edition saw 22.27 million participants. The growth rate of the number of participating students in the sixth edition, compared to the first edition, reached 536 per cent – a significant increase that reflects the growing impact of the challenge in encouraging reading in Arabic.
About the Challenge
Organised by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, the Arab Reading Challenge aims to instil a comprehensive reading and knowledge seeking philosophy that supports the values of communication, dialogue, and openness to different cultures. It establishes the culture of daily reading and academic achievement in the lives of students, advancing Arabic language and enhancing its role in enriching human civilization and spreading knowledge.