Dubai, UAE – His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced an unprecedented achievement in the tenth edition of the Arab Reading Challenge. More than 40 million students from 60 countries participated in the event. He also affirmed that the UAE’s development projects are ongoing and focused on building educated individuals equipped with the tools of the future.
World record participation
The tenth edition of the Arab Reading Challenge saw the participation of 40,286,428 students, a 24% increase compared to the previous edition. In addition, more than 138,000 schools and approximately 161,000 supervisors participated, including over 74,000 students with disabilities.
Mohammed bin Rashid emphasized that the project reflects a deep belief in the importance of investing in human capital. He also noted that reading is fundamental to building awareness and enhancing the capabilities of new generations. He explained that the initiative contributes to strengthening the Arabic language and encouraging young people to seek knowledge and information.
A broad positive impact on students
For his part, Mohammed Abdullah Al Gergawi emphasized that the Arab Reading Challenge embodies the UAE’s vision of building a knowledge-based future. He affirmed that the initiative has successfully had a profound impact on students’ behavior and motivated them to read.
International studies have shown a remarkable improvement in participants’ Arabic language skills, with a 93% increase. Self-confidence also rose by 96%. Furthermore, annual reading rates have increased, with students now reading between 50 and 100 hours per year.
The total number of participants in the challenge across its 10 cycles has exceeded 203 million students. This reflects a significant shift in reading culture across the Arab world and globally, and further solidifies the initiative’s position as the largest Arabic-language reading project worldwide.
