Burullus Celebrates Egyptian Student’s Reading Challenge Win

Residents of Burullus, a coastal town in Egypt’s Kafr El-Sheikh Governorate, celebrated student Mayar Mahmoud Othman’s victory in the tenth edition of the Arab Reading Challenge by painting a mural of her at the town’s entrance.

The mural, featuring Mayar’s portrait alongside the words Fakhr El-Burullus (The Pride of Burullus) was created by local artist Ahmed Mesbah to recognise her achievement in the UAE-organised competition.

Mayar secured first place in the competition, which attracted more than 40 million students from 60 countries.

Launched in 2015 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Arab Reading Challenge encourages students to read and summarise 50 books during the academic year. Participants progress through school, district, and national qualifying rounds before competing in the finals in Dubai.

Ahmed El-Kafrawi, director of the Media Centre at Baltim Club, said residents were proud of Mayar’s achievement and were preparing a celebration to welcome her home.

Mayar received a prize of AED 500,000 (EGP 7.59 million) at an awards ceremony held at the Dubai World Trade Centre, attended by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Speaking to Masrawy following her victory, Mayar expressed her pride in representing Egypt and said she planned to return to Kafr El-Sheikh to celebrate with her family.

She also encouraged other Egyptian students to develop a love for reading, describing the competition as an opportunity to discover new worlds rather than a difficult examination.

Mayar credited her family for supporting her throughout the competition and emphasised the importance of patience, dedication, and learning.