Sobha Realty pledges Dh500 million for endowment to support Arab Reading Challenge

Funds will help promote reading as a daily habit and strengthen status of Arabic

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, with the joint winners of the Arab Reading Challenge, twin sisters Baisan and Baylsan Koka, and other winning contestants. Ruel Pableo for The NationalShow less

Sobha Realty has pledged Dh500 million ($136.1 million) for an endowment to support the Arab Reading Challenge and foster a love of literature among future generations.

The financial support aims to promote reading and learning as an expression of cultural identity and a daily habit among students, and to strengthen the status of the Arabic language as a core component of identity.

The deal between Sobha Realty and the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives was signed during Thursday's event to mark the crowning of the 2025 Arab Reading Champion.

The challenge operates under the umbrella of MBRGI.

The agreement was signed in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, and between Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and secretary general of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, and PNC Menon, founder and chairman of Sobha Realty. Photo: Wam

“Sobha Realty’s contribution reflects the community’s unique engagement with efforts made by the UAE and MBRGI to equip new Arab generations with knowledge, modern tools and a clear vision for building an Arab future rooted in culture and learning,” said Mohammed Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and secretary general of the MBRGI.

“These efforts will open the door wide for Arab students to achieve their academic and professional ambitions and to play an influential role in building their nations.”

PNC Menon, founder and chairman of Sobha Realty, said the company was excited to among contributors to the “noble goal” of the reading challenge.

“Sobha Realty’s contribution builds on our close partnership with MBRGI, and our shared commitment to making a positive difference in people’s lives,” said Mr Menon.

“It reflects both parties’ firm belief in the importance of reading in students’ development and the need to align efforts and engage all segments of society to provide the right conditions for new generations to express themselves, keep up with evolving learning methods, and access information quickly.”

The agreement also seeks to advance the mission of the MBRGI to create a positive impact in Arab societies and the broader cultural landscape.

This contribution will also further enable the Arab Reading Challenge, to continue the successful journey it began in 2015 as the world’s largest Arabic-language reading competition.

Twin sisters Baisan and Baylsan Koka, 12-year-olds from Tunisia, were crowned joint winners of this year's challenge.

The 12-year-olds pledged to give half of their shared Dh500,000 winnings to support people in Palestine.

The Arab Reading Challenge was launched by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, in 2015 as the largest-ever Arab literacy initiative.

Over nine events, the challenge has attracted more than 163 million students, over 927,000 Arab school entries and more than 877,000 reading supervisors, Wam said.