{
  "id": 17330113,
  "title": "11-year-old Egyptian girl beats 40M students in reading contest",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/31/11-year-old-egyptian-girl-beats-40m-students-in-reading-contest",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-31T03:21:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Times of India",
    "slug": "times-of-india",
    "url": "https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/rest-of-world/11-year-old-egyptian-girl-beats-40-million-students-in-reading-contest-what-dubai-ruler-sheikh-mohammed-did-after-her-win-caught-attention/articleshow/135385994.cms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Eleven-year-old Mayar Othman Al Shourbagy made headlines as she claimed victory in the 10th Arab Reading Challenge, outperforming more than 40 million students from 60 countries. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, added a personal touch to the occasion by removing his own badge and pinning it onto the young Egyptian student. The gesture was likely a personal expression of admiration and encouragement for the young champion.\n\nMayar's journey to the top began at her school, where her supervisor recognized her confident Arabic speaking and enlightened outlook. She read 60 books during her preparation for the competition, outshining 17,616,289 other contestants in Egypt. Her family and school provided unwavering support throughout her journey, enabling her to win the championship title and a cash prize of Dh500,000.\n\nThe 10th Arab Reading Challenge, launched by Sheikh Mohammed in 2015, aimed to promote reading, enhance Arabic language skills, and foster a love for knowledge among younger generations. The competition brought together over 40 million students from 60 countries, representing 138,426 schools and 161,507 supervisors.",
  "summary": "Mayar Othman Al Shourbagy, an 11-year-old student from Egypt, won the 10th Arab Reading Challenge. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum presented her with a badge to commemorate her achievement. She read 60 books as part of her preparation for the competition. The challenge attracted over 40 million participants from 60 countries, promoting a culture of reading. Mayar's family and school…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Art Newspaper",
        "title": "The name of a 3,500-year-old Egyptian dog depicted in a tomb painting has been revealed—and it has a unique link to the god Anubis",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/30/the-name-of-a-3-500-year-old-egyptian-dog-depicted-in-a-tomb-painting",
        "published": "2026-10-30T14:43:26.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}