11-Year-Old Egyptian Student Wins 10th Arab Reading Challenge

An 11-year-old Egyptian student, Mayar Othman Al Shourbagy, won the 10th edition of the Arab Reading Challenge, competing against more than 40 million students from 60 countries. The announcement highlights her victory and a personal gesture from the ruler of Dubai.

Victory and Prize

Mayar Othman Al Shourbagy emerged as the champion of the 10th Arab Reading Challenge, securing a cash prize of Dh500,000. According to reports, the competition brought together 40,286,428 students from 138,426 schools across 60 countries. Mayar read 60 books during her preparation and was selected from among over 17.6 million contestants in Egypt.

Gesture by Sheikh Mohammed

As reported by Gulf News, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, congratulated Mayar on stage. In addition to presenting her achievement, Sheikh Mohammed kissed her on the head, held her close, and removed his own badge to pin it onto her. Reports noted that the gesture was a personal expression of encouragement and was not part of the official competition prizes.

Background of the Challenge

The Arab Reading Challenge initiative was launched in 2015 by Sheikh Mohammed to encourage reading, strengthen Arabic language skills, and foster a love for knowledge among younger generations. Observers can verify official competition details and announcements through official government and established media channels in the UAE and Egypt.