A Jordanian teenager read his way to half-a-million dirhams as he was declared the winner of Arab Reading Challenge 2021. Abdullah Abu Khalaf, 17, outperformed 21 million participants from 52 countries.
Egypt’s Al Ghoraib School for Basic Education won the Dh1 million ‘Best School’ award. Out of 96,000 others, the school was deemed the best in making reading an integral part of students’ lifestyle.
Moza Al Ghanna from the UAE bagged the Dh300,000 ‘Outstanding Supervisor’ award for keeping her wards’ reading levels high, especially amid the Covid-19 pandemic. She was selected from 120,000 participating supervisors in this year’s challenge.
A hero with special needs
In the category of Arab students living in foreign countries, Alexander Voros from Italy was declared the champion.
Voros, a teenager with special needs, took home a prize of Dh100,000. He inspired millions with his persistence and determination to learn the Arabic language, which is not his mother tongue.
The ceremony, hosted by George Kordahi, the recently announced Lebanese Minister of Information, was broadcast on MBC Channel and the Arab Reading Challenge website
The main challenge winners
Abu Khalaf received the news of his win through a surprise visit from Ahmed Ali Al Balushi, the UAE Ambassador to Jordan.
The winner outperformed the other four finalists, with Sarah Al Daeef from Morocco named second; Diaa Al Qaisum from Saudi Arabia, third; Yousra Mohammed Al Imam from Sudan, fourth; and Abdul Rahman Mansour Ahmed Mohammed from Egypt, fifth.
Best school
Other than Egypt’s Al Ghoraib School for Basic Education, Al Hassad Al Tarbawi School in Jordan came second; and Alanjal Private School from Saudi Arabia was third.
Outstanding supervisors
Emirati Moza Al Ghanna was declared the best, while Asma Saqr from Tunisia came in second, and Khaled Al Bukiri from Morocco received the third prize.
Special tribute
The closing ceremony featured an emotional video as a tribute to Al Taher bin Ahmed, the Arab Reading Challenge’s coordinator in Mauritania, who recently passed away after a long struggle with illness.
The 21 million participants from 14 Arab countries and 38 others with Arab diaspora represent a 55.5 per cent growth from the previous year’s 13.5 million from 49 countries
In all, cash prizes worth Dh11 million were given away during the live TV ceremony that saw His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, deliver an inspirational speech.
source/content: khaleejtimes.com
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DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES (U.A.E.)