Syrian, Saudi and Palestinian winners of the 2024 Reading Challenge

The Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, honored the champions of the "Arab Reading Challenge 2024", the first-place winners, namely Hatem Al-Turkawi from Syria, Kadi Al-Khathami from Saudi Arabia, and Salsabil Sawalha from Palestine.

This came at the closing ceremony of the eighth session of the challenge, yesterday, Wednesday, which recorded an unprecedented participation of more than 28 million male and female students, representing more than 229 thousand schools in 50 countries.

The qualifiers were held under the supervision of more than 154,000 male and female reading supervisors, during the qualifiers of the eighth round of the largest reading event of its kind in the Arabic language in the world, which is organized by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives Foundation, according to the Emirates News Agency (WAM). Each of the three champions received a prize worth half a million dirhams, equivalent to 136.1 thousand dollars, after excelling in the final stage, which included the top Arab countries.

Omar Abdel Latif, a student from Egypt (Al-Azhar Al-Sharif), won second place and a prize worth 100,000 dirhams ($27,200), while Suleiman Al-Shammari, a student from Kuwait, came in third and won a prize worth 70,000 dirhams ($19,000).

In a related context, the Ruler of Dubai honored the “Education School, First Cycle” from the Emirates, after it received the title of “Distinguished School.”

The ceremony, which was held at the Dubai Opera and attended by more than 1,500 people, honored the “Outstanding Supervisor” and crowned the Champion of Communities and the Champion of the 8th Arab Reading Challenge in the category of people with disabilities (people of determination), in addition to the top students participating in the qualifiers at the country level. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid stressed that “knowledge will remain the choice of societies and their bet for the desired development, and to meet the essential aspirations of people for a decent life and a sense of reassurance and confidence in the future.”

<oembed url="https://x.com/HHShkMohd/status/1849050364491837803?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1849050364491837803%7Ctwgr%5E981ddd56aad9a0758a2924fccb5a10ceff7386cd%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Falkhaleejonline.net%2FD8ABD982D8A7D981D8A9-D988D981D986%2FD8B3D988D8B1D98A-D988D8B3D8B9D988D8AFD98AD8A9-D988D981D984D8B3D8B7D98AD986D98AD8A9-D8A3D8A8D8B7D8A7D984D8A7D98B-D984D8AAD8ADD8AFD98A-D8A7D984D982D8B1D8A7D8A1D8A9-D8A7D984D8B9D8B1D8A8D98A-2024"> He said via his account on the “X” platform: “Today we crowned the champions of the Arab Reading Challenge in its eighth session.. with the participation of more than 28 million male and female students from schools in 50 countries, a new achievement for the largest reading project in the world.. I am happy with the passion of this Arab generation for knowledge and reading.. I am proud of this new group of future makers.” He added: “Arab male and female students present inspiring models of positivity, initiative and courage in turning dreams into reality in each session of the challenge.. They believed that perseverance is the path to victory, so they got what they deserved.”

Bin Rashid paid special tribute to the students participating in the People of Determination category, saying: “Our students with disabilities have proven once again to themselves and to everyone that they have enough willpower and determination to conquer the impossible. These are achievements we are proud of and a bold move that motivates the new generation to write the Arabs’ future in letters of light.”

The Arab Reading Challenge targets school students from first grade to twelfth grade.