Entertainmentupdated 1h ago2 min read
Archive photo · 10 June 2023Sheikh Mohammed Crowns Egyptian Mayar Othman Arab Reading Champion With AED 500,000
5 West Asian3 Western Alternative1 OtherPhoto: Hawkeye7, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cropped for layout
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Mayar Othman Al Shuorbagy, 11, wins Arab Reading Challenge 2026 in Dubai. First prize is 500,000 dirhams for the champion.
Save coverage image
Arab Reading Champion Crowned
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum crowned Egyptian Mayar Othman as the Arab Reading champion, awarding the 11-year-old AED 500,000 for winning the tenth edition of the Arab Reading Challenge. Palestinian Ghazal Tayyem won second place with an AED 100,000 prize, while Saudi Arabia's Rayan Al Zakeri took third place with an AED 70,000 prize. Sidi Amer School in Tunisia won the Best School title with an AED 1 million prize, and Syria's Mahmoud Imran won the People of Determination category with an AED 200,000 reward.
Jordanian Fakhri Mahmoud Mayyas received the Outstanding Supervisor Award with an AED 300,000 prize, as the tenth edition recorded the largest participation in its history. The initiative drew 40,286,428 students across 60 countries, including 74,062 students in the People of Determination category, and 161,507 supervisors.
Dubai Ceremony and Prizes
The Arab Reading Challenge winners were honoured at a ceremony held at Dubai World Trade Centre on Thursday, where Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum honoured the champion.
Gulf News said Mayar Othman Al Shuorbagy, an 11-year-old Egyptian student, won Dh500,000 at the grand finale after beating more than 40 million students from 60 countries.
Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan honoured Sidi Ameur Primary School from Tunisia with the Dh1 million prize for the outstanding school, while Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum honoured Mahmoud Omran from Syria as the first-place winner in the People of Determination category.
The People of Determination category winner Mahmoud Omran received Dh200,000, and the challenge recognised winners across the overall championship, People of Determination and community categories.
The initiative said it allocates Dh11 million annually in prizes across its categories, taking the total prize money across the 10 editions to Dh110 million.
Palestinian Winner and Goals
WAFA said Palestinian student Ghazal Rashad Adel Taim, 16, won second place in the 10th edition after being crowned Palestine’s national champion. WAFA described the final assessment as six contestants competing before an audience, with each given one minute to answer a direct question before attendees voted to select the winner. WAFA added that the results were announced at the closing ceremony of the 10th edition held at the Dubai World Trade Centre in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
وكالة صدى نيوز said Ghazal Tayim’s eyes were set on winning the title of champion of the Arab Reading Challenge in its tenth season after she won the title at the level of Palestine. Sada News Agency quoted Ghazal Tayim saying: "Take from reading a spring of water that quenches your thirst, for through books you find yourselves".