‘The path to civilisation begins with reading,’ says Sheikh Mohammed

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, announced that the final ceremony of the sixth edition of the Arab Reading Challenge would be held in-person for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.

It is scheduled to take place on November 10, 2022 at Dubai Opera.

Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid 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.

Sheikh Mohammed tweeted: “Six years ago, we have launched the Arab Reading Challenge, believing that the path to civilisation 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 continued: “Millions of Arab youth rush to read 50 books every year, which is a push to a better future for all of us.”

Sheikh Mohammed added: “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.”

Sheikh Mohammed continued, “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.”

Sheikh Mohammed expressed confidence in all participants. He said: “The Arab Reading Challenge has proven that passion for knowledge cannot be tamed, and that our Arab youth are capable of realizing our hopes and dreams.”

Sheikh Mohammed concluded: “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.”

Contestants

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.

A Success Story and Exemplary Model

Mohammad Al Gergawi, Secretary-General of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, said that the vision of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum 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.

Mohammad Al Gergawi said: “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.”

Encouraging Prizes

The Arab Reading Challenge offers a prize of AED1 million for the Best School, Dhs 500,000 for the fist champion, Dhs 300,000 for the Outstanding Supervisor, and Dhs 100,000 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 Biggest Challenge in its History

The number of participants in a single edition of the Arab Reading Challenge continues to increase year-on-year. Approximately 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% – a significant increase that reflects the growing impact of the challenge in encouraging reading in Arabic.