Dubai: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, expressed his pride in the participation of more than 830,000 students from across the UAE in the 10th edition of the Arab Reading Challenge.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed congratulated Danah Adel Al Zarouni, a Grade 6 student at Al Ittihad National Private School (Khalifa A, Abu Dhabi) on winning the title of UAE Champion of the 10th Arab Reading Challenge.

His Highness said, “Proud of more than 830,000 students in the UAE who took part in the Arab Reading Challenge this year. I am proud of their reading skills, their passion for knowledge, and their attachment to books. Civilisations are built by people like you. Reading is the foundation of development, progress and innovation.”

His Highness added, “I congratulate Danah Adel Al Zarouni on securing first place at the UAE level. She will now represent the country alongside participants from 60 countries, as part of this year’s challenge, which engaged 40 million students during the current academic year.”

This came as Danah Adel Al Zarouni was crowned the UAE Reading Champion in the 10th edition of the Arab Reading Challenge during a ceremony organised by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) at the Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo City, in the presence of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority.

During the ceremony, H.H. Sheikha Latifa honoured Danah Adel Al Zarouni as well as the winner of the second place in the national finals and the winners in the People of Determination category.

Sheikha Latifa said, "Under the vision and guidance of its wise leadership, the UAE continues to entrench a culture of reading as an authentic societal approach and a fundamental pillar for human development and knowledge advancement, reinforcing the country's position in supporting thought and creativity and building an aware and educated society capable of keeping pace with future developments."

She added, "Recognised as the largest competitive knowledge initiative of its kind in the Arab world aimed at instilling a culture of reading among the young generation, the Arab Reading Challenge represents a national and intellectual milestone that we are proud of. Guided by the vision and support of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the initiative has succeeded in deepening knowledge among students, building their awareness, developing their capabilities, and strengthening their connection to their language, identity and culture."

Sheikha Latifa expressed her pride in the wide participation of UAE students in the Arab Reading Challenge, which was reflected in the efforts of school administrations, teachers and supervisors, underscoring the success of educational efforts in embedding a culture of reading and strengthening its presence among students.

She added, "We congratulate Danah Adel Al Zarouni on winning the title of UAE Reading Champion in the Arab Reading Challenge, and we extend our congratulations to all winners and participants who, through their competitive spirit and passion for reading, embodied an inspiring example of the ambition of the UAE's youth. We also extend our thanks and appreciation to the families, teachers, supervisors and educational institutions who played an essential role in this achievement."

The ceremony was attended by Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of Education; Sheikh Salem bin Khalid Al Qassimi, Minister of Culture; Maryam Al Hammadi, Minister of State and Secretary-General of the UAE Cabinet; Mohamed Taj Eddine Alqadi, Chairman of the Department of Education and Knowledge in Abu Dhabi; Hessa bint Essa Buhumaid, Director-General of Dubai's Community Development Authority; and Aisha Abdulla Miran, Director-General of Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority, alongside a large number of officials and educators overseeing the Arab Reading Challenge initiative, advocates of cultural and knowledge affairs, and a large gathering of UAE students and their families.

During the ceremony, Sarah Al Amiri honoured the remaining top ten finalists at the national level, as well as the National Challenge Coordinator, the Outstanding Supervisor, and the Best School in the UAE.

Student Danah Adel Al Zarouni was crowned the UAE Reading Champion in the 10th edition of the Arab Reading Challenge after emerging victorious in the final rounds that saw the participation of more than 830,000 students representing 1,250 schools under the supervision of 2,120 supervisors.

The ceremony also witnessed Yousef Mohammed Saeed Hamed, a grade 8 student at Al Qudwah School (Cycle 2 for Boys) in Sharjah's Eastern Region, being honoured after winning first place in the People of Determination category. Also honoured were Nada Saud Abdulaziz, who came in second, and Omar Ali Rashid Al Ketbi, who came in third out of a total of 395 students who participated in this category. Additionally, Naima Al Amiri from Dubai was named ‘Outstanding Supervisor’, while Hamad bin Abdullah Al Sharqi School (Cycle 3) in Fujairah was named the ‘Best School.’

Ten finalists reached the UAE national-level qualifications. Alongside the Challenge champion, Danah Al Zarouni, the finalists included: Hamad Mohammed Ibrahim Al Hashemi (Grade 12, Al Mahmoud School –Cycle 3 for Boys, Sharjah); Hamad bin Hamdan Al Nahyan (Grade 1, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Awal School, Abu Dhabi); Sarah Waleed Al Mansoori (Grade 10, Zayed Educational Complex - Al Dhait South, Cycles 2 & 3, Ras Al Khaimah); Issa Abdullah Al Mazemi (Grade 8, Zayed Educational Complex - Mezairah, Cycles 1, 2 & 3, Sharjah); Aisha Abdullah Saif Mohammed Al Humaidi (Grade 11, Umm Al Momineen School - Cycle 3 for Girls, Fujairah); Salem Abdullah Salem Al Hammadi (Grade 4, Al Marfa School, Al Dhafra); Mohammed Manaa Mohammed Ahmed Al Najjar (Grade 5, Zayed Educational Complex - Al Khawaneej, Cycles 1, 2 & 3, Dubai); Asya Awadh Al Siyabi (Grade 10, Al Hosoon Charter School, Al Ain); and Humaid Saeed Saleh Al Zaabi (Grade 6, Al Qudwah School - Cycle 2 for Boys, Sharjah - Eastern Region).

Ten finalists reached the UAE national-level qualifications. Alongside the Challenge champion, Danah Al Zarouni, the finalists included: Hamad Mohammed Ibrahim Al Hashemi (Grade 12, Al Mahmoud School –Cycle 3 for Boys, Sharjah); Hamad bin Hamdan Al Nahyan (Grade 1, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Awal School, Abu Dhabi); Sarah Waleed Al Mansoori (Grade 10, Zayed Educational Complex - Al Dhait South, Cycles 2 & 3, Ras Al Khaimah); Issa Abdullah Al Mazemi (Grade 8, Zayed Educational Complex - Mezairah, Cycles 1, 2 & 3, Sharjah); Aisha Abdullah Saif Mohammed Al Humaidi (Grade 11, Umm Al Momineen School - Cycle 3 for Girls, Fujairah); Salem Abdullah Salem Al Hammadi (Grade 4, Al Marfa School, Al Dhafra); Mohammed Manaa Mohammed Ahmed Al Najjar (Grade 5, Zayed Educational Complex - Al Khawaneej, Cycles 1, 2 & 3, Dubai); Asya Awadh Al Siyabi (Grade 10, Al Hosoon Charter School, Al Ain); and Humaid Saeed Saleh Al Zaabi (Grade 6, Al Qudwah School - Cycle 2 for Boys, Sharjah - Eastern Region).

Sarah Al Amiri highlighted that over the past decade, since its launch in 2015, the Arab Reading Challenge has successfully established reading as a culture that defines communities, and a sustainable educational practice, adding that the initiative has become a leading regional model for human capital investment, rooted in the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who believes that knowledge is the cornerstone of development and that building the future begins with nurturing young minds.

Al Amiri said, “The record-breaking participation of UAE students in this tenth edition of the Arab Reading Challenge reflects the success of our national vision to make reading an integral part of the educational journey. It highlights the seamless collaboration among various educational and cultural institutions to anchor knowledge and empower generations with future-ready tools. This participation is a strong indicator of growing community awareness regarding the role of reading in character development, critical thinking and strengthening national identity and the Arabic language.”

She added, “The tenth edition of the Arab Reading Challenge is a milestone that proves how inspiring initiatives can create a lasting impact across generations. What began a decade ago as an ambitious initiative has evolved into a major Arab cultural project that touches the lives of millions of students. It instills in them a love for reading, enhances their analytical and creative thinking skills, and cements the status of Arabic as a language of science, knowledge and intellectual output.”

She congratulated the winners across all categories, as well as all participating students, also commending the dedicated efforts of parents, teachers and supervisors. She reaffirmed that the Ministry of Education will continue to develop specialised initiatives that promote a culture of reading, support lifelong learning and empower students to acquire the knowledge and skills needed to compete globally and contribute to the future of the UAE.

Danah Al Zarouni carries the UAE’s aspirations to win the 2026 Arab Reading Challenge during the final stage in Dubai. The Challenge involves multiple qualifying rounds to select champions who have successfully read and summarised 50 books, demonstrating a deep comprehension of key themes.

The qualification process progresses from individual grade levels to schools, educational zones and governorates, culminating in the selection of national champions from both the Arab world and participating countries abroad. Top performers and outstanding schools are chosen at the national level based on unified, rigorous criteria.

Specialised committees within the participating countries work alongside the Arab Reading Challenge panels to select winners across educational zones and governorates. This collaborative process leads to the selection of the top ten students and the ultimate national champion from each country, all of whom advance to the final round in Dubai to compete for the title.

The UAE has consistently maintained a distinguished presence in the Arab Reading Challenge, both in terms of participation numbers and securing top positions across various categories.

Among its most notable achievements was student Amnah Mohammad Al Mansoori winning the 7th Arab Reading Challenge title in 2023. The 7th edition saw the participation of 24.8 million students from 46 countries, representing over 188,000 schools and guided by nearly 150,000 supervisors.

In the 9th edition, which drew more than 32.2 million students from 50 countries, besides over 132,000 schools and more than 161,000 supervisors, the UAE’s Atika bint Zaid School (Cycle 1) jointly won the ‘Best School’ title alongside the Tarablus Al Haddadin School from Lebanon.

UAE's Al Ibdaa’ Model School (Cycle 1) claimed the prestigious ‘Best School’ title in the 8th edition, which drew more than 28 million students representing over 229,000 schools across 50 countries, guided by over 154,000 educators.

The UAE also shone in the ‘Outstanding Supervisor’ category. Moza Al Ghannah captured first place in this division at the conclusion of the 5th edition, which featured over 21 million students from 52 countries, representing 96,000 schools and guided by 120,000 supervisors.

The Arab Reading Challenge was launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in 2015 as the largest-ever Arab literacy initiative. It aims to promote reading among students across the Arab world and beyond, strengthen language skills such as comprehension and clear self-expression, and nurture young Arabs’ love for the language and its everyday use.

It seeks to foster a lasting passion for knowledge and reading in new generations, equip them with the tools to create a better future and build their character. The challenge also aims to shape the value system of the youth by exposing them to the customs, beliefs, and traditions of other cultures, promoting the principles of tolerance and coexistence.