Nour Al-Kandari: I Dream of Awarding Kuwait the 'Arab Reading Challenge' Title

Kuwaiti champion Nora Osama Al-Kandari will compete in the “Arab Reading Challenge Champion 2026” finals next Thursday, after previously securing first place at the national level in Kuwait. Nora heads to the final rounds in Dubai with an impressive reading journey during which she read approximately 500 books, hoping to bring the title home for Kuwait. The tenth edition of the competition will be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre, featuring the top finishers from participating countries. This edition witnessed the largest participation in the history of the Challenge since its launch in 2015, with more than 40 million students from 60 countries representing over 138,000 schools, under the supervision of more than 161,000 teachers and supervisors. The champion will receive a prize of half a million dirhams, while the runners-up in second and third place will win 100,000 and 70,000 dirhams, respectively.

Nora did not expect to win first place at the national level, especially since this was her first time participating in the competition. Her diligence enabled her to claim the title among 302,224 students who took part in the Challenge’s competitions in Kuwait, representing 797 schools under the supervision of 1,895 teachers. In a statement about her experience, Nora said: “It boosted my self-confidence and motivated me to intensify my reading, explore diverse books, summarize effectively, and speak Arabic more fluently. I realized that reading is a beautiful journey, not just a challenge.”

She aspires to become an Arabic language teacher, emphasizing that her participation in the Challenge helped clarify her goals. Reading helped her discover the beauty of the Arabic language and understand the importance of teachers’ role in instilling a love for Arabic and reading in students’ hearts. Nora hopes to win the “Arab Reading Challenge Champion 2026” title as a gift to Kuwait, her parents, her grandmother, and everyone who supported and encouraged her. Describing her feelings as the winner’s announcement approaches, she said: “It’s a mix of joy, pride, and enthusiasm. I feel fortunate to have this experience, and I am striving to achieve first place at the Arab level, so I can become the first Kuwaiti to win this title.”