Five Contestants Enter Finals of Arab Reading Challenge Beating back Competition from 10.5 Million Students that Joined Record Third Edition

Five students have reached the finals of the 2018 Arab Reading Challenge, the largest-ever Arab reading initiative organized by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) foundation. The finalists will compete for the title of Champion of the Arab Challenge to be announced at an award ceremony on Tuesday, October 30, at Dubai Opera.

A total of 44 students – the national winners of the challenge – participated in the two-day semi-final qualifying rounds on October 27 and 28 at the School of Research Science in Al Warqa across two categories – the Arab world and Arab communities residing in non-Arab countries.

Some 250 delegates representing 44 participating countries arrived in Dubai on Friday, October 26. The third edition of the Arab Reading Challenge drew the participation of 10.5 million students from the Arab region and worldwide.

The list of finalists from the Arab world includes Noran Abdulraouf Al Blushi from Bahrain, Zahra Mansour Al Shammari from Kuwait, Malak Bint Hareb Al Ghafaria from Oman, Rola Hussein Mehdi from Lebanon, Khalil Amin Ibrahim from Al Azhar and Maryam Yousif from Egypt. Meanwhile, Majd Al Saadi from Finland and Ahmed Abdulsalam Dakouri from Canada will represent Arab communities outside the Arab region in the finals.

Najla Al Shamsi, Secretary General of the Arab Reading Challenge, said: "This year’s edition of the Arab Reading Challenge has gained a global dimension with the inclusion of community literacy champions residing outside the Arab world in response to the directive of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who launched the initiative three years ago.”

She added: “The competition seeks to spark an Arab knowledge and scientific renaissance through opening the Arab world to global knowledge resources, broadening its horizons, and enabling convergence between ideas, values and experiences through promoting active reading habits among the emerging Arab generations within and outside the Arab world.”

Ali Al Shaali, President of Arab Reading Challenge Jury, said: “Over the past two days, all the contestants have demonstrated exceptional caliber and excellent potential in terms of know-how, ability of expression, critical thinking and discussion based on logic and facts.”

The total value of the Arab Reading Challenge cash prizes amounts to AED11 million, or approximately US$3 million, including AED500,000 for the Champion of the Arab Reading Challenge. In addition, the Outstanding School will receive AED1 million, while the Outstanding Supervisor walks away with AED300,000.

Online voting for the Outstanding School via www.arabreadingchallenge.com has been open to the public around the world since Friday, October 26, and will continue until 9am on Tuesday, October 30.

Launched in 2015, the Arab Reading Challenge aims to establish a culture of reading among the new Arab generations across the globe, and highlight the importance of knowledge in shaping their future as well as the future of their communities and countries.