Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Education and Higher Education, represented by the Department of Curriculum and Learning Resources, celebrated the conclusion of the seventh edition of the Reading Olympiad project and the tenth season of the Arab Reading Challenge at the Marriott Marquis Hotel.
The event was attended by Dr. Ibrahim bin Salih Al Nuaimi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, assistant undersecretaries, senior ministry officials, school principals, winning students, and their parents.
The ceremony was also attended by Charge d’Affaires of the UAE Embassy in Doha Rashid Abdulrahman Al Ali, and representative of the Mohammed bin Rashid Global Initiatives Foundation Hamda Faraj.
The event witnessed the announcement of the results of the seventh edition of the Reading Olympiad competition and the tenth season of the Arab Reading Challenge, with Dr. Al Nuaimi honouring 600 male and female students who reached the final stage of the competitions.
Assistant Undersecretary for Educational Affairs Maha Zayed Al Ruwaili, delivered a speech during the ceremony in which she emphasised the importance of reading and its impact on shaping students’ personalities.
She noted that reading is not merely a passing activity or a limited school skill, but rather a fundamental gateway to human development, societal progress, and the advancement of nations.
Al Ruwaili added that a nation that reads not only acquires knowledge, but also learns how to ask questions, think critically, distinguish ideas, and view the world with a broader perspective.
She also praised the Arab Reading Challenge programme and its role in instilling a love of reading among millions of students across the Arab world, strengthening younger generations’ connection to the Arabic language, knowledge, and intellectual thought.
Nearly 200,000 students participated in this year’s Reading Olympiad and Arab Reading Challenge. Around 2,000 students qualified through regional rounds, while nearly 600 students advanced to the final stage, reflecting a genuine passion for reading and a positive competitive spirit among students.
The ceremony included a video presentation documenting students’ journey with reading as a foundation for learning and discovery, while highlighting the role of school libraries in shaping and enriching students’ intellectual development.
The Reading Olympiad project aims to raise reading levels and develop students’ abilities to express their understanding of texts through various creative methods according to their talents, while enhancing their skills in understanding and applying information according to their needs.
Meanwhile, the Arab Reading Challenge seeks to foster a love of reading among children and youth across the Arab world and establish it as a deeply rooted habit that enhances curiosity, passion for knowledge, and broadens intellectual horizons. It also aims to develop students’ analytical thinking, critical thinking, and expression skills, while promoting values of tolerance and intellectual and cultural openness through exposure to the ideas of writers, thinkers, and philosophers from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
The challenge also aims to encourage educators and parents across the Arab world to contribute to promoting a culture of reading and play a key role in inspiring future generations to embrace reading and knowledge.
