The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) has revealed the six finalists for the tenth edition of its prestigious ‘Iqra’a’ (Read) competition. The finalists, representing five Arab nations, will compete for the “Reader of the Year” title at the grand finale on December 5-6, 2025.
Marking a decade of promoting literacy and cultural dialogue, this year’s theme, “The Impact of Reading Never Fades,” attracted a record 192,000 participants. The finalists are Abdulilah Al-Bahrani (Saudi Arabia), Ameen Chaabane (Tunisia), Younes Al-Issaoui and Hiba Yamout (Morocco), Sarah Ben Ammar (Algeria), and Nasreen Aboulifa (Libya).
What began as a local Saudi initiative in 2013 has grown into a major pan-Arab cultural movement, engaging over 417,000 participants in its ten-year history.
The finalists were selected after a rigorous, year-long process that included online evaluations, interviews, and enrichment programs. A new “Golden Qualification Card” was introduced this year, fast-tracking exceptionally distinguished readers directly to the finals.
The competition culminated in a two-week cultural residency, where finalists engaged in workshops and dialogues with leading Arab intellectuals, transforming them from readers into “creators of meaning.”
The December finale will feature speeches, debates, and a cultural program including a special exhibition chronicling the initiative’s first decade.
Ithra, an Aramco initiative, is a leading cultural center in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, dedicated to fostering knowledge, creativity, and cross-cultural exchange.
TunisianMonitorOnline (Douha Essaafi)
