MBRGI to Announce Arab Reading Challenge 2026 Winners on 29 October

What happened

• The 10th edition of the Arab Reading Challenge will hold its closing ceremony on 29 October 2026 at the Dubai World Trade Centre [1, 2, 3].
• The Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives (MBRGI) announced that 40,286,428 students from 60 countries participated this year [2, 3].
• Total prizes awarded since the initiative’s launch in 2015 have reached Dh110 million, with Dh11 million distributed annually [1, 2, 3].
• The 10th edition saw a 24 per cent increase in participation compared to the 9th edition [1, 2, 3].
• This year’s participation includes 74,062 students in the People of Determination category [1, 2, 3].
• The competition involved 138,426 schools and 161,507 supervisors [1, 2, 3].

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, stated that the country is committed to serving the Arabic language and nurturing generations through reading [1]. Mohammad Al Gergawi, Secretary-General of MBRGI, described the 10th edition as a landmark event due to its record-breaking reach across 60 countries [1].

Who is affected

Students across the Arab world and beyond are the primary participants. The prize categories and amounts are as follows:

• Arab Reading Challenge Champion: 1st place receives Dh500,000, 2nd place Dh100,000, and 3rd place Dh70,000 [1, 2, 3].
• People of Determination Champion: 1st place receives Dh200,000, 2nd place Dh100,000, and 3rd place Dh50,000. Participants in this category must read 25 books [2, 3].
• Best School: 1st place receives Dh1 million, 2nd place Dh500,000, and 3rd place Dh300,000 [1, 2, 3].
• Outstanding Supervisor: 1st place receives Dh300,000, 2nd place Dh100,000, and 3rd place Dh50,000 [1, 2, 3].
• Community Champion: A total of Dh200,000 is awarded, with Dh100,000 for 1st place, Dh70,000 for 2nd place, and Dh30,000 for 3rd place. This category is for students living outside the Arab world, non-native Arabic speakers, or those learning Arabic as a second language [1, 2, 3].

In the previous 9th edition, the main title went to Tunisian twins Bisan and Baylasan Kouka, while Maria Hassan Ajil from Iraq won the People of Determination category [1, 2, 3]. The 9th edition included 32.231 million students from 50 countries [1, 3].