Tunisian twins crowned Arab Reading Champions

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has crowned Tunisian twins, Bisan and Baylasan Kouka, the Arab Reading champions.

The 12-year-old twins received an award of AED 500,000 for winning the ninth edition of the Arab Reading Challenge.

Mohammed Jassim Ibrahim from Bahrain came in second place, taking home AED 100,000, while Mariam Mohammed Shamekh from Mauritania ranked third with prize money worth AED70,000.

Atika bint Zaid School – 1st Cycle (UAE) and Tarablus Al Haddadin School from Lebanon were jointly awarded the title of ‘Best School’, taking home AED 1 million.

Jehad Mohammed Murad from Italy was honoured with 'Community Champion' (AED 100,000), while Sahar Misbah from Egypt won the Outstanding Supervisor' award with a prize money of AED 300,000.

Maria Hassan Ojail from Iraq will take home AED 200,000 for winning 'People of Determination' category.

This year’s Arab Reading Challenge, organised by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, saw record participation of more than 32 million students from 50 countries, representing 132,112 schools and supported by 161,004 supervisors.

Launched by Sheikh Mohammed in 2015, the Arab Reading Challenge is the largest-ever Arab literacy initiative. It aims to promote reading among students across the Arab world and beyond and nurture the love for the language.