A group of Egyptian students, who emerged as champions in their country, have arrived in the United Arab Emirates to participate in the final stage of the 2026 Arabic Reading Challenge. The event, which is set to take place at the Dubai World Trade Centre, will be attended by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President of the UAE, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai. The Egyptian team was warmly welcomed at Dubai Airport by the challenge's organisers, who provided them with a comprehensive program, including visits to Dubai's notable educational, cultural, and entertainment landmarks.
The 2026 Arabic Reading Challenge has attracted a massive participation of 40,286,428 students from 60 countries, including 74,062 students with special needs. This represents a significant increase of 24% compared to the previous year's participation of 32.2 million students from 50 countries. The challenge's tenth edition has seen a remarkable growth in participation, with 138,426 schools and 41,505 supervisors involved in the competition. Egypt's team consists of four students who won in their respective categories.
The Egyptian team is comprised of Miary Mohamed Ragab Osman, who won the championship at the national level, Dalia Hassanen Ahmed, who was awarded the "Best Supervisor" title, the Martyr Mahmoud El-Maghraby Primary School, which won the "Best School" title, and Mohamed Abdel Gawad Abdel Nabi Najdi, who came first in the special needs category. They will compete against other participants from around the world for the top prizes.
The 2026 Arabic Reading Challenge offers a total of 11 million UAE dirhams in annual prizes, which will amount to 110 million dirhams over ten editions. The winner of the challenge will receive a prize of 500,000 dirhams, while the second and third places will receive 100,000 and 70,000 dirhams, respectively. Additionally, the winner of the special needs category will receive 200,000 dirhams, and the second and third places will receive 100,000 and 50,000 dirhams, respectively.
The challenge also offers prizes for the "Best School" and "Best Supervisor" categories. The winning school will receive 1 million dirhams, while the second and third places will receive 500,000 and 300,000 dirhams, respectively. The "Best Supervisor" award carries a prize of 300,000 dirhams for the first place, 100,000 dirhams for the second place, and 50,000 dirhams for the third place.
The Arabic Reading Challenge is an annual competition that aims to promote a culture of reading and learning among students. It was launched under the patronage of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives and has become one of the largest reading challenges in the world. The competition provides a platform for students to showcase their reading skills and compete with their peers from around the world.
The final stage of the challenge will take place on October 29, 2024, at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The event will be attended by prominent officials and dignitaries, and the winners will be announced and awarded their prizes. The challenge has become a significant event in the region, promoting a love of reading and learning among students and inspiring them to achieve academic excellence.
Key points
- The 2026 Arabic Reading Challenge has attracted a record 40 million participants from 60 countries.
- The Egyptian team consists of four students who won in their respective categories.
- The challenge offers a total of 11 million UAE dirhams in annual prizes.
