The Arab Reading Challenge

I am writing today about this initiative which was launched by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in the year 2015. The aim of this initiative is to motivate students, in the schools of the Arab world, to increase their awareness of their language and to concern themselves over reading which develops culture… This challenge is meant to be attended by students who have completed reading fifty books in each academic year. The challenge is rich and diverse, opening the horizons of young people to knowledge, assimilation and analysis... There are approved criteria on the basis of which the participants move from one stage to another before the shortlisted end up in the qualifying stage in Dubai. I hope that this year, Lebanon's schools will break the barrier of shame in their participation in this challenge that helps us discover the richness of our language. This is a tribute to the champion of the sixth session, who was crowned yesterday, the Syrian girl, Sham Muhammad Al-Bakour.