The world’s largest Arabic reading competition reaches its finale in Dubai today. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, will crown the champions of the tenth edition at a closing ceremony.
The ceremony at Dubai World Trade Centre will honour the overall Arab Reading Challenge champion, along with winners in the People of Determination and community categories, the Outstanding School and the Outstanding Supervisor. The winners had not been announced at the time of writing, and this report will be updated after the ceremony.
A record year
The numbers for this edition are the largest the challenge has recorded. Participation reached more than 40 million students across 60 countries, up 24 per cent from the ninth edition and representing 48 per cent of all school students in the Arab world. The edition engaged 138,426 schools and 161,507 supervisors.
Since the first edition in 2015, participation has risen by 1,019 per cent. That year, 3.6 million students took part. The challenge was launched by Sheikh Mohammed as the largest Arab literacy initiative of its kind, and it is organised by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives.
What the winners receive
The prizes reflect the scale of the programme. The overall champion receives Dh500,000, with Dh100,000 for second place and Dh70,000 for third. In the People of Determination category, the winner receives Dh200,000, followed by Dh100,000 and Dh50,000. The community category pays Dh100,000, Dh70,000 and Dh30,000 for the top three places.
The challenge allocates Dh11 million in prizes every year, which brings the total over ten editions to Dh110 million.
The UAE’s contribution
The UAE has a large presence in the competition. More than 830,000 students from across the UAE took part in this edition. Danah Adel Al Zarouni, a Grade 6 student at Al Ittihad National Private School in Abu Dhabi, was crowned UAE champion earlier this year. She now represents the country alongside participants from the other 59 countries.
Voices from the finals
Behind the headline numbers are individual stories. Nine-year-old Omar, an Egyptian boy who lives in Australia, took part for the first time. He said he began reading only eight months ago, and told reporters he plans to donate prize money if he wins.
The community category is open to students outside the Arab world, including learners of Arabic. That feature has helped the challenge reach a wider audience than its first editions.
Why it matters
Sheikh Mohammed said that for centuries the Arabic language served as a driving force for human and social progress. Organisers say the challenge is meant to encourage reading habits and strengthen Arabic among young people. They also say it helps shape values by exposing students to the customs and traditions of other cultures.
Educators have raised concerns about the place of Arabic in classrooms and daily life, particularly in multilingual cities such as Dubai. A competition that asks students to read dozens of books, and then to explain their ideas in their own words, is one answer to that concern.
Since its launch, the initiative has attracted more than 203 million student participations. The size of the programme means it has become a significant part of the region’s education calendar.
What to expect today
The closing ceremony is the culmination of months of school rounds, national finals and final judging. Alongside the crowning of the overall champion, organisers will recognise schools and supervisors whose work enabled students to take part.
The Emirates Times will publish the names of the winners as soon as they are announced.
