The UAE will host a ceremony next Thursday to celebrate the achievements of 32 million students from 132,000 schools across the Arab world participating in the 9th edition of the Arab Reading Challenge.
Launched by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in 2015, the initiative encourages students from grades 1 to 12 to read and summarise at least 50 books each academic year.
Sheikh Mohammed emphasised the significance of the Arabic language and the role of reading in building future generations, stating: “The participation of millions of students reading 50 books each year proves that the love of knowledge can never fade. Reading remains our path to rebuilding civilisation, and the Arabic language will always be an inseparable part of our identity, spirit, and future.”
The grand finale ceremony is scheduled at the Dubai World Trade Centre on 23 October 2025 under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed. The event will honour winners from various categories including the overall champion, best school, outstanding supervisor, and community champion.
This edition marks a new high in participation, with more than 32 million students from 50 countries lining up in the competition, supported by over 161,000 supervisors.
Officials say the scale of engagement demonstrates the region’s growing commitment to literacy, critical thinking and cultural identity through reading in Arabic.