 | ||
| Source: Dubai Media Office. Participants of the Arab Reading Challenge at the closing ceremony for the event. Amjoun is in centre, with HH Sheikh Mohammed. |
HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, VP and PM of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai said, “A river starts with many drops, and the participants of the Arab Reading Challenge are the first drops in the river of knowledge that we look forward to discovering in every corner of the Arab world and beyond. We rely on the reading champions to help us build a knowledge-based future for the region.
“The finalists of the competition have become role models for millions of Arab students in their keen interest in acquiring knowledge and their determination to succeed. Every book read by the contestants serves as a gateway to communicate with the people of the world.”
HH Sheikh Mohammed added: “Books are the source of ideas and values for the next generations. A generation that reads is a promising one, and a nation that reads is one that invests in the future. Reading creates global citizens who care deeply about making the world a better place.
“The participation of 10.5 million students is indeed a great accomplishment for all those who have supported our initiative. The Arab Reading Challenge is just a start. I call on everyone who has the means to do so to launch similar literacy and knowledge projects in the Arab world.”
Five schools – Al-Ikhlas School, Mujamma al-Salam School from KSA, Abdulhamid Dar Abid Sidi Ali High School from Algeria, Al-Wehda High School from Morocco and Al-Awda Girls’ School from Palestine – competed for the Outstanding School title.
All 7,871 students of Al-Ikhlas School participated in this year’s Arab Reading Challenge. The school has adopted an innovative approach to instilling a culture of reading among its students as well as in the community, including people with special needs, earning it the title of Outstanding School. In addition to launching six literacy initiatives in Kuwait and two abroad, it organised the Sana al-Ikhlas literacy drive, 12 workshops, seven reading trips, 10 literacy events and motivational campaigns, and more than 140 studies and debates.
HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, VP and PM of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, presented Morocco student Maryam Amjoun, the cash prize of AED500,000 as champion of the third edition of the Arab Reading Challenge in Dubai, UAE.
Maryam Amjoun from Morocco, champion of the Arab Reading Challenge 2018, impressed the audience with her confident interaction with the jury and her profound knowledge, manifested in her eloquent expression. She highlighted the crucial role of reading in shaping knowledgeable individuals that are ready to contribute to society, participate in development and generate knowledge. In recognition of her exceptional abilities, Amjoun received the highest numbers of votes from the audience, matched by the jury’s assessment.
Other finalists included Qassam Sbeih from Palestine, who received a standing ovation for his statement that reading to him is life and has given him the determination to achieve his ambitions. Meanwhile, Mohammad Khaled Hussein from Jordan expressed his wish to continue acquiring knowledge and shared his aspiration to become a scientist and win the Nobel Prize in Physics.