10-year-old Lulwa El-Assaad reads I Want a Pet by Samar Mahfouz Barraj as part of the Arab Reading Challenge.
Last month, Sheikh Khalifa, President of the UAE, declared 2016 as the “year of reading”. It followed the September launch, by Sheikh Mohammed, of the Arab Reading Challenge, which runs until April. The plan is to turn the competition into an annual event.
We want the Arab child to love to read, to make reading a hobby, part of their fun routine, not something that is a chore or homework,” says Abdulla Al Nuaimi, the general coordinator of the challenge.
The ambitious goal is to get “a million children” in the region to read 50 Arabic books each, in addition to their normal reading for school.
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
Watford 1 (Deulofeu 80' p)
Chelsea 2 (Abraham 5', Pulisic 55')
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
