11-year-old Egyptian girl beats 40 million students in Arab Reading Challenge, wins Dh500,000

An 11-year-old Egyptian student, Mayar Othman Al Shuorbagy, has won the 10th edition of the Arab Reading Challenge, receiving a prize of Dh500,000 at the competition's grand finale in Dubai on Oct 29.

She was honoured by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, at a ceremony held at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The competition attracted 40,286,428 students from 60 countries, making this its largest edition to date.

Palestinian student Ghazal Rashad Tayyem secured second place, winning Dh100,000, while Saudi Arabia's Rayan Al Zakeri finished third and received Dh70,000.

Tunisia school wins Dh1 million award

Sidi Ameur Primary School from Tunisia received the Dh1 million prize for the outstanding school category. The award was presented by Lieutenant General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior of the UAE.

In the People of Determination category, Mahmoud Omran, a visually impaired student from Syria, secured first place and won Dh200,000. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, honoured him at the ceremony.

The 10th edition also recorded the participation of 138,426 schools and 161,507 supervisors. Among the participants were 74,062 students in the People of Determination category.

Arab Reading Challenge records decade of participation

Launched in 2015 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Arab Reading Challenge is an initiative aimed at encouraging reading among school students, strengthening Arabic-language skills and promoting a lasting interest in books and knowledge.

Across its 10 editions, the initiative has recorded more than 203 million student participations, over 1.065 million school participations and more than 1.193 million supervisor participations.

The competition has expanded beyond the Arab world, drawing participants from 60 countries in its latest edition. Its awards recognise individual students as well as schools, supervisors and participants in dedicated categories.