iRead To the Arab World
The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) launched the Annual Reading Competition in 2013 Kingdom-wide to promote a culture of reading and valuing knowledge, based on the premise that reading offers intellectual enrichment for future generations. The competition is open to students at the upper elementary, middle school, high school, and university levels, or their equivalents in Arab countries. To participate, students must submit a review of a book of their choice and share their personal experience with it and/or how it inspired them.
Participants then progress through several elimination rounds to qualify for the Ithra Reading Enrichment Forum held at Ithra, which brings together the best participating readers from across the Arab world for an inspiring experience featuring lectures, workshops, and discussions led by prominent intellectuals. The top performers at the forum advance to the final ceremony.
