9 year-old Maryam Amjoun wins Arab Reading Challenge
DUBAI: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, crowned Maryam Amjoun, a nineyear-old student from Morocco, as Champion of the third edition of the Arab Reading Challenge at a packed award ceremony at Dubai Opera and presented her with the cash prize of Dhs500,000.
The Dubai Ruler also honoured Al Ekhlas School from Kuwait as winner of the challenge, and Aisha Al Tuwarqi of Saudi Arabia as winner of outstanding supervisor tittle of the prestigious Arab Reading Challenge.
Maryam Amjoun, Champion of the Arab Reading Challenge 2018, impressed the audience with her conident 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 number of votes from the audience, matched by the jury’s assessment.
The event saw 10.5 million participants representing more than 52,000 schools across 44 countries.
Al-ikhlas School from Kuwait received the Outstanding School award and a cash prize of Dhs1 million to develop its educational capacities. Aisha Al-tuwairqi from Saudi Arabia won the Outstanding Supervisor title and a cash prize of Dhs300,000 in recognition of her efforts as an inspirational teacher. Tasneem Eidi from France was named Outstanding Student from Arab Communities Residing in Non-arab Countries and walked away with Dhs100,000.
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.
Five students qualiied for the inal round in the two-day semi-inals, held in Dubai with the participation of 16 competitors from the Arab world and Arab communities residing in nonArab countries.
Noura Bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, said that the “Arab Reading Challenge” creates cultural mobility and helps promote the capacities and skills of millions of Arab students.
Al Kaabi added that the current edition of the challenge has acquired a special importance, due to the declaration of Sheikh Mohammed that he will enlarge the scope of the challenge to include all countries and attract Arab students abroad, which will make it a global cultural event involving all segments of the community.
She stressed that the challenge will also start a knowledge renaissance and shape the minds of the youth, through raising their awareness of the role of reading in shaping their personalities, developing their intellectual and analytical skills, and promoting the stature of the Arab language while noting that the challenge is an Emirati effort to create a passion for knowledge among future generations.