His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, awarded the titles of 8th Arab Reading Champions to Hatem Mohammed Jassim Al Tarkawi from Syria, Kadi bint Musaffar Al Khathaami from Saudi Arabia and Salsabil Hassan Sawalha from Palestine. The winners were crowned at the concluding ceremony held at Dubai Opera, following the largest Arabic reading initiative in the world, the Arab Reading Challenge.
This year’s Challenge, organized by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI), saw record participation, with over 28 million students from 229,000 schools across 50 countries, supported by more than 154,000 supervisors.
During the ceremony, Sheikh Mohammed emphasized the importance of knowledge as the foundation of societal progress.
He said, "Today, we celebrate over 28 million students from 50 countries, marking a new milestone for the world's largest reading project. I am deeply impressed by this young generation's passion for reading and immensely proud of their accomplishments".
Sheikh Mohammed highlighted the students' perseverance and positivity, which he noted were crucial in turning their dreams into reality. He also expressed admiration for students with disabilities, acknowledging their determination to overcome obstacles.
Each of the three Arab Reading Champions received an award of AED500,000after advancing through the final qualifying round. Omar Abdul Latif from Egypt (Al Azhar Al Sharif) claimed second place with a prize of AED100,000 and Sulaiman Al Shumaimari from Kuwait secured third place, receiving AED70,000.
Sheikh Mohammed also presented the ‘Best School’ award to Al Ibdaa’ Model School - Cycle 1 from the UAE.
The ceremony, attended by more than 1,500 guests, recognized winners in categories such as "Outstanding Supervisor", "Community Champion" and "People of Determination Champion" in addition to the top performers from individual countries.
The event was attended by prominent figures, including H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and other members of the royal family and senior officials.