Rabat – Moroccan student Fatima Zahra Al Akhyar is participating in the 2019 Arab Reading Challenge in the UAE. In a promotional video, the student said that she is “ready to win the competition.”
In the video, Al Akhyar introduces herself and talks about her hobbies and dreams. She likes maths, reading, and writing.
Al Akhyar participated in the maths olympics in France, and received a certificate of merit. She also published a novel in Arabic entitled “In Room 56.”
The 15-year-old student is also a member of Morocco’s child parliament, and she practices Taekwondo.
“I want to excel in both scientific and literary fields. I am Fatima Zahra Al Akhyar, and I am here to win the Arab Reading Challenge,” she confidently stated in the footage.
Al Akhyar is a student at Cadi Ayyad High School in Tetouan, northern Morocco. She qualified to the 2019 Arab Reading Challenge after winning the national reading contest.
This year, the challenge takes the form of a reality TV show for the first time since its creation in 2016. The competition began on September 27 and is being broadcast on MBC TV channel.
The next episode of the show, the semi-finals, is set to be aired tomorrow, November 8, at 4 pm, Moroccan time. Al Akhyar is still part of the competition.
The Arab Reading Challenge is an annual competition organized by the International Foundation of Mohammed bin Rashed Al Maktoum. It attracts students from across the Arab world.
The winner receives $150,000 to cover their university tuition fees. The winner’s school also receives a prize of $1,000,000.
Last year, Moroccan student Mariam Amjoun won the competition. The 9-year-old won despite being the youngest participant.
