Egyptian student Mayar Al Shourbagy wins Dh500,000 Arab Reading Challenge title

Mayar Othman Al Shourbagy, an 11-year-old student from Egypt, was crowned the winner of the 10th Arab Reading Challenge at a grand finale held at the Dubai World Trade Centre on Friday, 30 October. The champion outperformed more than 40 million students from 60 countries to claim the Dh500,000 top prize. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, presented the trophy to Al Shourbagy. In a personal gesture during the ceremony, Sheikh Mohammed removed his own badge and pinned it onto the young winner after she read 60 books to qualify for the final stages. Al Shourbagy was selected as the winner following a live one-minute assessment and a public vote involving six finalists. Path to the championship Al Shourbagy’s journey to the Dubai final began in Egypt, where she was selected from a pool of 17,616,289 contestants. During the final assessment, she addressed a live audience, demonstrating the linguistic proficiency and confidence that her school supervisors first identified when she began the challenge by reading and summarising poetry. The competition, which has grown into the largest reading initiative of its kind globally, saw a record-breaking participation rate this year. The 10th edition reached students across 60 countries, reinforcing the initiative's objective to promote the Arabic language and foster a culture of knowledge among the youth. Educational and national impact Following her…