Egyptian Girl, 11, Crowned Champion of Arab Reading Challenge, Wins Dh500,000

Dubai, UAE – An 11-year-old Egyptian prodigy, Mayar Mohammed, has emerged victorious in the prestigious Arab Reading Challenge, securing the top prize of Dh500,000 at a grand ceremony held in Dubai on Thursday. Mayar distinguished herself by devouring over 60 books throughout the competition. The second place was awarded to Gazal Teem, a 16-year-old from Palestine, while Rian Al Zakri, also 11, from Saudi Arabia, clinched the third position. The young champion expressed her intention to utilize her winnings to contribute to the establishment of a library at her school.

The Arab Reading Challenge, an initiative launched by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, in 2015, stands as the world's most extensive Arabic literacy program. Its core objective is to foster a profound love for reading, enhance linguistic proficiency, and cultivate the knowledge and character of young Arabs. The Dubai award ceremony also celebrated other notable achievements. Fakhri Mayas from Jordan received Dh300,000 and the title of Outstanding Supervisor for her dedication in mentoring and inspiring students. Seedy Amer Primary School in Tunisia was recognized as the Best School, earning a prize of Dh1 million.

Further accolades included Suhaib Maid from New Zealand, who was named champion in the category for Arab pupils residing abroad. Mahmoud Omran from Syria was awarded Dh200,000 and the title of Reading Champion in the People of Determination category. This year's challenge saw an impressive participation of over 40,286,000 students from 60 countries, with 74,062 participants in the People of Determination category, reflecting a significant 24 percent increase from the previous edition. In total, 138,426 schools and 161,507 supervisors were involved this year. Since its inception, the initiative has engaged more than 203 million students, over 1.065 million school participations, and more than 1.193 million supervisors.

Organizers emphasize that the event plays a crucial role in promoting cross-cultural understanding, tolerance, and coexistence. It aims to equip students with essential skills for building a brighter future and champions the Arabic language as a dynamic, living global language.