A coordination meeting for the Arab Reading Challenge initiative, involving coordinators from various Arab countries, was held today in Cairo. The focus of the meeting was on discussing the state of reading in Arab nations and strategies to encourage students to engage in reading.
Participants deliberated on the development plan for the competition and the mechanism for establishing a digital library. This library, scheduled to be available to all students in Arab countries by October, will include a diverse and purposeful collection of books tailored to various age groups.
The meeting also addressed ways to activate partnerships and the role of challenge champions in the community as reading role models. Additionally, discussions covered the improvement of the judging matrix, encouraging students to write, and their participation in book fairs at the Arab level.
Ali Al-Abbas, the general coordinator of the competition in Syria, spoke about the National House for Reading and Writing project, which is being developed by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with governmental and non-governmental organizations. This project aims to serve as an incubator for all initiatives and projects related to reading and writing. Al-Abbas highlighted the significant number of students participating in the competition this year in Syria.
Al-Abbas noted that the increase in participation reflects a growing interest in reading and the Arabic language, a priority for the Ministry of Education.
The meeting was attended by Dr. Abdul Karim Sultan Al Olama, the Executive Director of the Mohammed bin Rashid Global Initiatives, and competition coordinators from various Arab countries.
