Final Qualifying Round For Arab Reading Challenge’s Community Champion Title Commences In Dubai

The final qualifying round for the "Community Champion" title in the 8th Arab Reading Challenge has commenced in Dubai. Students are competing at the Mohammed bin Rashid Library to secure a spot among the top three finalists. These finalists will advance to the concluding ceremony at Dubai Opera on 23rd October, where the winner will be announced.

The "Community Champion" category, introduced in the third edition of the Challenge, allows participation from students in Arab communities abroad and non-Arabs learning Arabic. This addition marked a pivotal moment for this global Arabic reading initiative. The finals involve an oral exam where students summarise key themes from 25 books they have read, showcasing their proficiency in Standard Arabic.

The judging panel assesses each student's understanding and ability to express ideas independently. To excel, students must confidently discuss, critique, and analyse texts, demonstrating their skill in connecting various concepts meaningfully. The "Community Champion" winner will receive AED 100,000, while second and third place winners will earn AED 70,000 and AED 30,000 respectively.

This year's Arab Reading Challenge has seen unprecedented participation with over 28.2 million students from 50 countries representing 229,620 schools. They are guided by 154,643 supervisors. Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Secretary-General of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI), noted that over its eight editions, the Challenge has become an inspiring initiative with a tangible impact on Arab culture.

The Arab Reading Challenge reflects His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's vision to empower future generations through knowledge acquisition and mastery of Arabic. It provides a nurturing environment for creativity, enabling students to shape a brighter future. The initiative also helps build values encouraging youth to learn about other cultures.

Finalists in the "Community Champion" category include Yahya Khalid Al-Otaibi (Italy), Iyad Abdul Rahman Tabi (France), Suhaib Abdul Razzaq (Canada), Jana Al-Saeed Eid Al-Shal (Greece), Lana Esa'eed (Germany), Sara Musa (Denmark), Mohammed Abdul Fattah Al-Refaie (Sweden), Aya Walid Saad Al-Din (Norway), Jawhara Saleh Al-Hassan (Finland), Jihad Al-Jaffal (Belgium), Mohammed Hanan Pedaikail (India).

Global Participation

Other finalists include Mazen Yousef Al-Hussein (China), Radwa Abdullah (Australia), Razan Hawa (New Zealand), Zaid Aziz Ghanem (United Kingdom), Ahmed Abdul Raqib Ahmed (Malaysia), Dorinda Al-Sayed Zaiter (Russia), Israa Musalli (Turkey), Lynn Al-Majzoub (Austria), Ibrahim Afifi (Switzerland). Khadija Khalil Abdul Karim represents Brazil while Kamee Basim Al-Jabai is from Netherlands and Mohammed Kalash from Ireland.

Launched during the academic year 2015-2016 under directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, this challenge aims to prepare a generation passionate about reading and knowledge. Participants are encouraged to express their identity in Arabic and use this rich language daily.

With inputs from WAM