Aisha Nazim champion of Arab Reading Challenge 2025 in Iraq

Aisha Nizar Nazim, a student, won the title of champion in the ninth edition of the Arab Reading Challenge in Iraq. A total of 1,339,270 students from 38,100 schools took part in the competition, which was overseen by 16,310 supervisors.

- Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The students played a key role in the success of the ninth edition of the world’s largest Arabic-language reading event, organised by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives Foundation since its launch in 2015.

The 8-year-old Aisha Nazim, a student at Zaha Hadid School for Excellence in Nineveh, was announced as the winner during the closing ceremony of the ninth edition of the Arab Reading Challenge. The ceremony was held in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, and was attended by Dr. Ibrahim Namis Al Jubouri, the Minister of Education, Adnan Al Sarraj, Adviser to the Prime Minister for Education Affairs, Mohammed Dayea Al Azzawi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education for Administrative Affairs and Chairman of the Higher Committee, Mohammed Saleh Al Taniji, Acting Chargé d’Affaires at the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Baghdad, Dr. Fawzan Al Khalidi, Director of Programmes and Initiatives at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives Foundation. Also in attendance were a number of officials and educators in charge of the Arab Reading Challenge initiative and a large crowd of parents of the participating students.