H.H. Sheikh Mohammed crowns winners of Arab Reading Challenge

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, crowned the 8th Arab Reading Champions on Wednesday during a ceremony held at Dubai Opera.

Three students - Hatem Mohammed Jassim Al Tarkawi from Syria, Kadi bint Musaffar Al Khathaami from Saudi Arabia and Salsabil Hassan Sawalha from Palestine - were declared joint winners, with each champion receiving an award of AED 500,000 after excelling in the final qualifying round.

Omar Abdul Latif from Egypt secured second place with a prize of AED 100,000, while Sulaiman Al Shumaimari from Kuwait took third place, earning AED 70,000.

This year’s Arab Reading Challenge, organised by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, saw record participation with over 28 million students from more than 229,000 schools across 50 countries, all guided by over 154,000 supervisors.

Additionally, His Highness awarded the title of ‘Best School’ (AED 1 million) to Al Ibdaa’ Model School - Cycle 1 from the UAE.

The ceremony, attended by more than 1,500 guests, also recognised winners in various categories, including "Outstanding Supervisor", "People of Determination Champion" and "Community Champion."

"Each year, Arab students exemplify positivity and initiative, inspiring us with their courage to transform dreams into reality. They embraced perseverance as the key to victory, and their dedication has been justly rewarded," said Sheikh Mohammed.

Launched during the 2015-16 academic year, the Arab Reading Challenge aims to foster a culture of reading among young Arabs.

. @HHShkMohd: Knowledge remains the cornerstone of progress for societies, paving the way for humanity to achieve a future of dignity and confidence. pic.twitter.com/Uz9UhjWPh1

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) October 23, 2024

. @HamdanMohammed awards the title of ‘Community Champion’ to Mohammed Abdul Fattah Al-Refaie from Sweden, and honours Mohammed Ahmed Hassan Abdul Halim from Egypt with the title of Arab Reading Champion in the People of Determination category. pic.twitter.com/MGMlqIr37y

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) October 23, 2024

. @SaifBZayed awards Rabie Ahmed from Syria the title of ‘Best Supervisor’ at the 8th edition of Arab Reading Challenge. pic.twitter.com/46M55SPxyv

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) October 23, 2024