Signing an agreement to establish an endowment dedicated to the Arab Reading Challenge in the amount of 500 million dirhams

In the presence of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, “may God protect him,” Sobha Real Estate Group announced its contribution to the Arab Reading Challenge initiative by establishing an endowment worth 500 million dirhams, in order to achieve its goals in establishing reading, reading, and academic and cognitive achievement as a daily culture in the lives of students, and enhancing the status of the Arabic language as a vessel for thought and culture and an authentic component of identity, which contributes to Embodying the visions and mission of the Initiatives Foundation, which is to create a positive impact on Arab societies and the Arab cultural scene and enhance the ability of rising generations to resume Arab civilization.

The announcement of the Sobha Real Estate Group’s contribution came during an agreement signed by His Excellency Mohammed Abdullah Al Gergawi, Secretary General of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives Foundation, and BNC Menon, founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Sobha Real Estate Group, on the sidelines of the closing ceremony for crowning the 2025 Arab Reading Challenge champion at the Dubai World Trade Center today. This contribution will enable the Arab Reading Challenge initiative, which falls under the umbrella of The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives Foundation aims to continue the success it has begun since its launch in 2015 as the largest Arabic reading competition in the world.

Under the agreement, Sobha Real Estate Group will establish an endowment in Dubai, the proceeds of which will go entirely to support the Arab Reading Challenge initiative, its strategic plans to develop its knowledge and cultural programs, and its projects to preserve the Arabic language, enable new Arab generations to obtain knowledge and modern sciences, and benefit from the achievements of human civilization in various fields, to contribute to shaping a better Arab future.

On this occasion, Mohammed Abdullah Al Gergawi stressed that the Arab Reading Challenge continues to achieve qualitative leaps in spreading knowledge and preserving the Arabic language, a translation of the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, by adopting long-term plans to motivate new Arab generations to read and create, uncover and nurture promising talents, and provide a model knowledge and educational environment to enable Arab male and female students to develop their abilities and contribute effectively to the industry. A real change in the reality of Arab societies.

He said: This contribution from the Sobha Real Estate Group embodies the unique interaction of the Emirati community with the efforts of the state and the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives Foundation, to help the new Arab generations possess science, contemporary tools, and a clear vision to build an existing Arab future whose pillars are culture and knowledge, thus opening unlimited horizons for Arab students, both male and female, to achieve their scientific and professional ambitions, and effective participation in building their countries.

For his part, PNC Menon said: We are pleased to be among the contributors to the Arab Reading Challenge initiative, to achieve its noble goals of building educated, aware generations that believe in the importance of acquiring knowledge as a basic condition for achieving the academic and life successes they aspire to. This support stems from our commitment to our societal responsibility, and reflects our keenness to support every student and facilitate his access to what he wants in various ways. types of sciences, and we look forward to this endowment having an influential role in supporting male and female students and providing them with the opportunity to hone their abilities and develop their potential.

He added: This contribution by Sobha Real Estate comes as an extension of the close cooperation between the group and the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives Foundation, and their joint endeavor to make a difference in the lives of communities and their firm conviction of the importance of reading in the lives of students, and the necessity of integrating efforts and involving all segments of society in providing appropriate conditions for new generations to express themselves, and keeping pace with developments in learning methods and speed of obtaining information.

The Arab Reading Challenge attracted more than 163 million students, both male and female, during nine sessions. It also recorded more than 927,000 participants in Arab schools, and the total number of supervisors participating in nine sessions reached more than 877,000 reading supervisors, male and female.

The challenge witnessed significant growth rates in the volume of participation, starting from its first session, which attracted 3.6 million students, all the way to the ninth session, which crowned its champions on October 23, when the number of participants in its qualifiers reached more than 32 million students, an increase of more than 795% over the first session. The ninth session also witnessed the participation of more than 132,000 schools and more than 161,000 male and female supervisors from 50 countries.

The Arab Reading Challenge also achieved a special achievement, represented by the League of Arab States inviting, on December 18, 2024, the ministries concerned with education in the Arab countries to adopt the Arab Reading Challenge as an educational curriculum and to support its dissemination and promotion, as a pioneering cognitive and cultural project that contributes to strengthening the Arabic language, as a vessel for the heritage and identity of the Arab nation.

The Arab Reading Challenge annually provides incentive rewards to first-place finishers in all its categories, totaling 11 million dirhams, bringing the total value of the prizes provided by the Arab Reading Challenge since its launch in 2015 to 99 million dirhams.

The student who wins the title of Challenge Champion receives a financial prize of 500,000 dirhams, while the school that wins the title of “Distinguished School” receives an amount of one million dirhams, and the supervisor who wins the title of “Distinguished Supervisor” receives an amount of 300,000 dirhams. The winner of the title of Arab Reading Challenge Champion in the People of Determination category receives a prize of 200,000 dirhams, while the reward for the first place holder in the Communities category is 100,000. Dirham.

The Arab Reading Challenge, which was launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, “may God protect him” in 2015, as the largest reading competition and project in the world, aims to enhance the importance of reading among participating students at the level of the Arab world and the world, develop mechanisms for comprehension and self-expression in a sound Arabic language, endear Arab youth to the Arabic language, and encourage them to use it in their daily dealings.

The challenge seeks to instill a love of knowledge, reading and knowledge among new generations and provide them with the necessary knowledge to contribute to building a better future and refining their abilities and personalities.
The challenge also aims to build the value system of young people by introducing them to the values, customs and beliefs of other cultures.