"Mohammed bin Rashid International Initiatives" In UNESCO, it shows its visions to spread knowledge in the digital age

Paris, September 11 / WAM / The “Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Initiatives” Foundation participated in the World Conference organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) at its headquarters in the French capital, Paris, on the occasion of the World Literacy Day 2025 under the slogan “Promoting literacy in the digital age.”

The conference included several sessions, discussions and rich interactive dialogues on the challenges of the digital age, ways to enhance lifelong learning systems, and how to reach higher levels of reading and writing skills, as well as digital skills.
Dr. Fawzan Al -Khaldi, Director of Programs and Initiatives at the “Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Initiatives” Foundation, stressed, during his participation in a session within the conference entitled “Enhancing effective programs and practices for literacy in the digital age”, that the initiative Foundation succeeded through the Arab Reading Challenge initiative organized by the Foundation since the launch of its first session in the year 2015, under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President of the State and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai God, as the largest reading initiative of its kind in the Arabic language in the world, in keeping pace with the rapid changes in the methods and tools for obtaining knowledge in the digital age, which changed the concept of traditional knowledge, and launched a new stage whose main features are to focus on easy access to knowledge, developing critical thinking skills and the ability to correctly deal with information.
The Arab reading challenge is witnessing qualitative changes in the context of its interest in creating innovative digital tools, foremost of which is the launch of the digital library for the challenge, especially in remote regions and regions that suffer from the difficulty of the availability of the Internet, and attracting new participants from male and female students in each new session of the Arab Reading Challenge, where in its ninth session he recorded the participation of more than 32.2 million students from 50 countries.
The partnership between the “Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Initiatives” Foundation and the “UNESCO” organization reflects the commitment of both sides to enhance the position of the Arabic language, consolidate the culture of reading and cognitive achievement, and building self -learning skills based on the belief of the Initiatives and UNESCO Foundation in the role of education in improving the quality of life and advancing development.
The Arab reading challenge holds a very important knowledge message, which was evident that the number of participants reached the end of the ninth session to more than 163 million students, and the Arab Reading Challenge was recorded through nine sessions more than 927 thousand posts for Arab schools, and the total number of supervisors participating in nine courses reached more than 877 thousand supervisors and supervisors, in addition to registering huge growth rates in the volume of participation starting from the first session that attracted 3.6 million students And a student to the ninth session, which witnessed the participation of 32.231 million students, with an increase of more than 795% over the first session.
The challenge of Arab reading has a prominent position at the Arab level, as the League of Arab States called on December 18, 2024, the ministries concerned with education in the Arab countries to adopt the initiative to challenge the Arab reading as an educational curriculum and support its publication and promotion, as the university confirmed during the celebration organized by the International Day of the Arabic Language, which was approved by the United Nations in the year 1973, that the initiative represents a pioneering knowledge and cultural project that contributes to promoting the Arabic language, as A bowl for the heritage and identity of the Arab nation.
The Arab reading challenge continues to consolidate its position as an inspiring knowledge initiative by instilling the love of reading in the hearts of emerging generations, in line with the goals of the sustainable development of the United Nations, especially the fourth goal “Good Education for All”.
The “Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Initiatives” Foundation seeks to integrate the challenge of Arab reading in educational curricula by establishing it as a basic component in educational systems in the Arab region, and the launch of supportive programs represented by complementary initiatives targeting erasing adult illiteracy in addition to activating students’ participation, as well as launching new digital platforms in order to employ technology in supporting learning distance and expanding the scope of access to disadvantaged areas.
And “UNESCO” stated that half a century ago, about one in four youth (15-24 years) were unable to read or write, but in 2024, 93% of young people became educated, due to the expansion of formal basic education.
However, about one of every ten youth and adults (739 million people), according to “UNESCO”, are still lacking the basic skills in literacy, with great disparities between regions, countries and population groups, especially among members of the weak groups, where about 80% of them live in 31 targeted countries by the Global Alliance for Literacy led by “UNESCO”, and according to the measurement of skills directly, it turns out that 18% show that 18% Among the adults in 31 developed countries lack the lowest levels of efficiency in reading, writing, calculating and solving adaptive problems.
In 2024, 93% of the population of high -income countries used the Internet, compared to only 27% in low -income countries, and globally, less than half of the elementary schools have internet connection for educational purposes, and in sub -Saharan Africa, two thirds of schools do not have electricity.

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