Ahmed Faisal Ali, a student based in Dubai, has been declared the UAE champion of the Arab Reading Challenge, emerging victorious among the 700,000 participants in the UAE challenge. This achievement now puts him in the running to win the Arab Reading Challenge title and a prize of Dh500,000. The Arab Reading Challenge is recognized as the largest reading challenge globally, with 28.8 million students from 50 countries taking part in the eighth edition. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, in a statement on his official social media, expressed his pride in the winners, emphasizing the importance of knowledge acquisition and reading among the youth.
To qualify for the challenge, students have to read and summarize at least 50 books to progress through the qualifying rounds from the school level to the national level. Ahmed Faisal Ali, the 15-year-old winner, shared his enthusiasm for reading and admiration for Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid. He mentioned that reading Sheikh Mohammed’s book ‘My Story’ has inspired him to continue his reading journey. The winner was presented with the award in the presence of Sarah bint Yousif Al Amiri, Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology, who underscored the significance of initiatives like the Arab Reading Challenge in shaping a bright future for the coming generations.
The Arab Reading Challenge, initiated by Sheikh Mohammed, aims to instill a love for reading among students by encouraging them to read more than 50 books in an academic year. The challenge is open to students from Year 1 to Year 12 across various schools in the Arab world. The winner of the Arab Reading Champion title receives a cash prize of Dh500,000, while an outstanding school is awarded Dh1 million to enhance their reading initiatives. Additionally, Dh300,000 is granted to exceptional supervisors, and a Dh100,000 award is presented to the champion selected from the Community Champions category, which includes Arabs living abroad and non-Arabs learning Arabic.
The Arab Reading Challenge has witnessed a continual increase in participation over the years. The first edition in 2015 saw 3.6 million students from 19 countries taking part, while the recent seventh edition in 2023 attracted 24.8 million students from 46 countries. This growth is indicative of the challenge’s impact in promoting a culture of reading and knowledge acquisition among students. The challenge not only rewards outstanding performers but also motivates schools and supervisors to further cultivate a habit of reading among the youth, shaping a promising future filled with creativity and imagination.
