Look: Sheikh Mohammed visits Dubai school where students read 25,000 books in one year

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on Thursday visited Dubai's Al Ebdaa Model School, which won the top spot in this year's Arab Reading Challenge.

Al Ebdaa Model School won first place among 229,000 schools from 50 countries that participated in the Arab Reading Challenge. School principal Laila Al Mannai led the project with Amna Al Shehhi being the reading supervisor.

The school team worked through 48 projects to promote reading among students. In one year, students completed reading 25,000 books. Most students completed 50 books during the academic year.

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During his visit, Sheikh Mohammed met the students and interacted with them. And in a heart-warming gesture, Sheikh Mohammed, saluted the students of the school for winning the accolade. The students were thrilled to meet the UAE Vice-President as they shook hands with him.

"This is what we want in all our schools.. We want to create aware, well-read, cultured students, capable of continuous learning.. and constant reading.. A generation capable of keeping up with the world culturally and cognitively.. and capable of creating a better future for all..," Sheikh Mohammed said in a post on X.

Three students won the Arab Reading Challenge on Wednesday, beating 28 million others to share the crown. This is the first time that three participants have won the award together.

• Emirati student beats 700,000 others, crowned UAE Arab Reading Challenge champion