Yasmin Abdulhamid Ohaida Al-Bati has been crowned champion of the tenth edition of the Arab Reading Challenge in Libya, after a nationwide round that drew 43,613 students from 710 schools under the supervision of 721 male and female mentors.
The announcement was made at the closing ceremony for the competition’s tenth edition, where Yasmin, a ninth-grade student at Al-Hassan bin Al-Haitham School in the Western Region (B), received the title in the presence of Dr Mohammed Abdul Salam Al-Quru, Minister of Education, along with officials, education leaders involved in the Arab Reading Challenge initiative, and a large number of parents and guardians.
Winners honoured across categories
During the ceremony, Awaatif Ali Al-Shahibi from the Eastern Region (A) was honoured with the title of “Outstanding Mentor”, while first place in the category for people of determination went to student Rawasi Ramadan Balqasim, a tenth-grade pupil at Al-Thawra Al-Arabiya School in the Western Region (A). That category’s final round included 210 participating students.
The top 10 list, in addition to Yasmin, included: Rawasi Adel Abdulghani Saleh Raheel, a fourth-grade student at Al-Shuhada Al-Brega School in the Eastern Region (C); Salima Bashir Hamad M’araj from grade 12 at Al-Shoula School (Western Region B); Samoud Abdul Salam Mohammed Al-Shabakh from grade 8 at the Centre for the Gifted (Middle Region B); Haneen Zakaria Mohammed Amoura from grade 6 at Baraem Al-Ilm School (Eastern Region A); Al-Fitouri Ahmed Mohammed Hussein from grade 7 at Azhar Sirte School (Middle Region A); Yumna Al-Sadiq Mohammed Al-Sharidi from grade 6 at Ajyal Al-Ilm School (Western Region A); Dunya Kilani Bin Hamouda Abu Bakr from grade 4 at Traghan Basic Education School (Southern Region A); Sundus Abdulhamid Miftah Fanir from grade 6 at Ibn Al-Haitham School (Western Region C); and Rima Ismail from grade 5 at Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq School (Southern Region B).
Support for reading and Arabic language
Libya’s Minister of Education, Dr Mohammed Abdul Salam Al-Quru, praised the importance of the Arab Reading Challenge in raising public awareness of reading across Arab countries, and highlighted the major role played by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives Foundation in strengthening the status of the Arabic language, encouraging younger generations to expand their knowledge, and urging them to excel in different fields of science to build a better future.
He said: «حرصت وزارة التربية والتعليم على توفير سبل الدعم كافة والبيئة المشجعة لمشاركة الطلاب والطالبات الفاعلة في النسخة العاشرة من تحدي القراءة العربي، بما ينمي قدراتهم ومهاراتهم المعرفية، ويعزز مكانة اللغة العربية لديهم، ويرسّخ محبتهم للمطالعة والعلوم».
He also congratulated the winning students, mentors and schools, as well as the work teams that played an influential role in enriching Libya’s cultural and intellectual scene, and thanked the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives Foundation for its continued efforts in supporting knowledge and learning, and for its determination to bring about a qualitative shift in promoting a reading culture among students and opening wider horizons for them to achieve excellence and success.
Foundation highlights Libya’s participation
For his part, Dr Fawzan Al Khalidi, Director of Programmes and Initiatives at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives Foundation, said: «تعكس المشاركة الفاعلة لطلاب وطالبات دولة ليبيا الشقيقة في تحدي القراءة العربي الجهود التي تبذلها وزارة التربية والتعليم وجميع الإدارات والهيئات التعليمية في ليبيا لترسيخ مكانة اللغة العربية، وتشجيع الطلبة على المطالعة واكتساب العلم والمعرفة».
He added: «تؤكد المشاركة الكبيرة في النسخة العاشرة من تحدي القراءة العربي التي استقطبت أكثر من 40 مليون طالب وطالبة ينتمون إلى أكثر من 60 دولة، وصول هذه المبادرة القرائية الأكبر من نوعها عالمياً، إلى آفاق جديدة من نشر المعرفة، وتعزز دورها في تطوير المجتمعات».
Dr Al Khalidi congratulated all the winners in the tenth edition in Libya on behalf of the team at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives Foundation and the Arab Reading Challenge, commending the integrated role of families and all educational parties in Libya in producing a generation that is aware and devoted to knowledge and reading.
Record participation in the tenth edition
The tenth edition of the Arab Reading Challenge recorded an unprecedented achievement, with 40,286,428 students taking part in its qualifying rounds from 60 countries, including 74,062 students from people of determination, an increase of 24% compared with the ninth edition, which saw participation from 32,231,000 students from 50 countries around the world. The tenth edition also recorded the participation of 138,426 schools and 161,507 male and female supervisors.
Launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, in 2015 as the world’s largest reading competition and project, the Arab Reading Challenge aims to promote the importance of reading among participating students across the Arab world and beyond, to develop their comprehension and self-expression in proper Arabic, to foster young Arabs’ love of the language of the Quran, and to encourage them to use it in their daily lives.
Organised by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives Foundation, the challenge seeks to embed a love of knowledge, reading and learning in younger generations and equip them with the knowledge they need to contribute to building a better future and shaping their abilities and personalities.
It also aims to build the value system of young people by introducing them to the values, customs and beliefs of other cultures.
Mohammed Al Quru:
• We value highly the major role played by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives Foundation in strengthening the status of the Arabic language.
Fawzan Al Khalidi:
• The participation of students in Libya reflects the efforts made by the Ministry of Education to encourage the acquisition of knowledge.
• Awaatif Ali Al-Shahibi wins the title of “Outstanding Mentor”.