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Arab Reading Challenge: UAE champion named from record 830,000 participants
12-year-old Dana Adel Al Zarouni from Al Ittihad National Private School in Abu Dhabi, will now go on to compete for the overall Arab Reading Challenge title
- PUBLISHED: Thu 9 Jul 2026, 12:59 PM UPDATED: Thu 9 Jul 2026, 8:39 PM
Dana Adel Al Zarouni has been named the UAE champion of the 10th edition of the Arab Reading Challenge, following a ceremony held at the Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo Dubai.
The 12-year-old Emirati student rose above more than 830,000 participants from schools across the UAE to claim the title — the highest national participation ever recorded in the initiative’s history.
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The winner was celebrated in the presence of Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, and Sarah bint Yousef Al Amiri, Minister of Education.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, congratulated the winners in a post on X.
“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," he wrote.
He 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."
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Second place went to Hamad Mohammed Ibrahim Al Hashemi from Al Mahmoud School in Sharjah, while third place was claimed by Hamad bin Hamdan Al Nahyan from Khalifa bin Zayed Al Awwal School in Abu Dhabi.
Speaking after her win, Dana said to Khaleej Times: “When a person begins and draws their own steps, it all starts as an idea in the mind. When we see ourselves and dream of winning the title, we begin drawing those first steps without even realising it. I dedicate this success to the words, to the Arabic language, to the letters that shaped our character.”
”My message to the next generation for every ailment, there is a novel that heals it, and for every pain, a book that cures it," she added.
The ceremony also honoured Yousef Mohammed Hamid from Al Qudwa School in Sharjah as the first-place winner in the People of Determination category.
Naima Al Amiri from Dubai received the Outstanding Supervisor award at the national level, Wahida Abdulaziz was recognised as the National Coordinator of the Arab Reading Challenge, and Hamad bin Abdullah Al Sharqi School (Boys Cycle 3) in Fujairah was named the Best School.
It is the largest reading challenge of its kind in the world. The 10th edition sees participation from over 40 million students from 138,426 schools across 60 countries.
Launched by Sheikh Mohammed, the Arab Reading Challenge encourages students to read as many books as possible over 50 in a single academic year.
Ruqayya Alqaydi is a Special Correspondent with an endless curiosity to learn. Like a journalist on a caffeine overdrive, she is fuelled by passion and on a mission to uncover every gem in the UAE.