Video: Sheikh Mohammed announces date for Arab Reading Challenge final ceremony in Dubai

For the sixth edition, the ARC recorded a 536 per cent growth in the number of participants, compared to figures in its inaugural year

Published: Fri 4 Nov 2022, 8:21 PM

Updated: Fri 4 Nov 2022, 8:49 PM

By
Web Desk

The final ceremony for the sixth Arab Reading Challenge (ARC) — which will be held in-person for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic — is scheduled on November 10 at Dubai Opera, the UAE Vice-President announced on Friday.

In a tweet, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said: "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.”

“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 said.

Since the ARC was launched in 2015, it has attracted nearly 79 million students — and for the sixth edition, it marked a whopping 536 per cent growth in the number of participants, compared to the first edition.

"(These students) are the beacon of knowledge that will drive our development in the coming decades," Sheikh Mohammed noted.

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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.

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.

Mohammad Al Gergawi, secretary-general of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, said that Dubai — which will host the closing ceremony of the Arab Reading Challenge on November 10 — will remain the destination for all innovators and pioneers who aspire to a better future.

“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," he said.

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The Best School Award

The final ceremony will include the announcement of the winner of the Best School Award in the sixth edition of the Arab Reading Challenge, after being selected among 92,583 participating schools.

The winning school will be recognized for its efforts and receive a prize to boost its ability to encourage students to make reading a habit and increase their knowledge.

Outstanding Supervisor

The ceremony will also include the announcement of the Outstanding Supervisor. Selected out of 126,061 supervisors who contribute to empowering students, the winner will receive a prize to support their efforts in empowering future generations with reading skills.

Community Champions Award

At the closing ceremony of the Arab Reading Challenge, the community champion will also be announced out of 23 Arab students living in foreign countries, with participations from different non-Arab countries.

Other prizes

The Arab Reading Challenge offers a prize of Dh1 million for the Best School, Dh500,000 for the first champion, Dh300,000 for the Outstanding Supervisor, and Dh100,000 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.

Arab Reading Challenge

Organized by Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, the Arab Reading Challenge aims to instill a comprehensive reading and knowledge seeking philosophy that supports the values of communication, dialogue, and openness to different cultures. It establishes the culture of daily reading and academic achievement in the lives of students, advancing Arabic language and enhancing its role in enriching human civilization and spreading knowledge.