The Arab Reading Challenge was launched in 2015 under the directives of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice‑President of the UAE, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. 
 
The initiative aims to be the largest Arabic‑language reading programme in the world. It seeks to foster a love of reading among students and to enhance the status of the Arabic language as a medium of knowledge and creativity.  During the ninth season of the challenge in 2025, participation reached a record level of over 32 million students from 50 countries. 
 
These participants represented more than 132,000 schools under the supervision of 161,000 educators, confirming the initiative’s leading role as the largest intellectual movement in the Arab world. A decade after its launch, the challenge aims at promoting a reading culture, strengthening the Arabic language and building a generation of readers and innovators who will lead the future of knowledge in the Arab world 
 
The 2025 grand finale of the Arab Reading Challenge celebrates an exceptional year, honouring the reading journeys of more than 32 million students from 50 countries inside and outside the Arab world. In its ninth edition, the challenge continues to highlight the achievements of outstanding schools, supervisors and participating international students. 
 
The forthcoming edition of the closing ceremony promises an immersive experience featuring musical performances, impressive visual segments and interactive scenes that reflect the spirit of the challenge and its expanding global impact.