Kerala Student Secures Third Place Globally in Arab Reading Challenge

Mohammed Shahansha from Keralam has won third place globally in the 10th edition of the Arab Reading Challenge held in the UAE. He represented India in the international category meant for countries where Arabic is not the native language. Shahansha is a student at Madin Academy in Malappuram, and the competition was organised under the leadership of Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The winners were announced at a function held at the Dubai World Trade Centre on Thursday. Shahansha will receive a cash prize of ₹8 lakh and a trophy. More than four crore students from 1,38,426 schools across 60 countries took part in the event. Shahansha qualified for the international round after doing well in the national-level preliminary rounds, alongside two other students from Madin Academy. He impressed the international jury by reading Arabic books and showing his ability to analyse and present their themes. Shahansha stated that the Arabic teaching methods at Madin Academy helped him build these reading and analytical skills. Suhaib Majid Mohammed from New Zealand won first place in the same category, while Hala Osama from Malaysia took second place.

Context

Language and reading competitions of this scale help students build strong literacy skills and connect with global platforms outside their home countries. The Arab Reading Challenge involves millions of pupils and schools worldwide every year, making it one of the largest reading initiatives of its kind.