A Grade 6 schoolgirl from Abu Dhabi has been crowned the UAE champion of the 10th Arab Reading Challenge, securing her place in the upcoming global grand finals. Danah Adel Al Zarouni, a student at Al Ittihad National Private School in the capital, won the national title after reading approximately 200 books over the past year, outcompeting a record-breaking 830,000 entrants from 1,250 schools across the country in the largest national participation cycle since the literacy initiative's inception.
The awards ceremony, held at the Dubai Exhibition Centre in Expo City Dubai, was attended by Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, and Her Excellency Sarah Al Amiri, UAE Minister of Education.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, on a post on X expressed pride at the participants of this years initiative saying, “Proud of more than 830,000 students in the UAE who took part in the Arab Reading Challenge this year. I am proud of their reading skills, their passion for knowledge, and their attachment to books. Civilisations are built by people like you. Reading is the foundation of development, progress and innovation.”
Congratulating Danah Adel Al Zarouni, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed also added, “I congratulate Danah Adel Al Zarouni on securing first place at the UAE level. She will now represent the country alongside participants from 60 countries, as part of this year’s challenge, which engaged 40 million students during the current academic year.”
Danah Adel Al Zarouni will now represent the UAE on the international stage against national winners from 60 countries, following a global pool that attracted more than 40.2 million students this academic year.