From Saudi to the Arab World - Ithra announces flagship Arabic reading competition "iRead" to expand to participants from all Arab countries for upcoming 8th edition

DHAHRAN, Saudi Arabia, June 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- President and CEO of Saudi Aramco, Engineer Amin bin Hassan Nasser, announced the expansion of its the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) flagship Arabic reading competition iRead beyond the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to readers across the Arab World for its upcoming edition, now open for submissions.

The announcement was made at the closing ceremony of iRead's 7^th edition, held on the evening of Saturday, June 25, 2022, where this year's winners were awarded. The ceremony, held at Ithra's premises in the Eastern Province, hosted a large gathering of intellectuals and writers, who were briefed on the storied journey of the winners throughout the competition. The ceremony also honored those who won the titles of "The Reader of the Year," "Reading Ambassador," and "Translation Ambassador", where Mr. Amin Al-Nasser expressed his congratulations to the winners and participants.

Expanding the impact of the competition across the Arab cultural landscape, Nasser announced that iRead will be open to include all readers from all Arab countries in the next edition of the program. Al-Nasser additionally expressed hope towards celebrating the awarding of the Nobel Prize for Literature to a Saudi Author in the future, and that the iRead competition will play a role towards that achievement.

Mr. Hussain Hanbazazah, the Director of the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra), expressed his utmost pride in the participants and winners of the iRead competition, saying: "iRead has witnessed rapid development since its inception in 2013, as well as an increase in the number of participants which to date exceeded 75,000 readers. With its continued growth, Ithra has continually developed the program on an annual basis, expanding and enhancing it further so that more bibliophiles can have the opportunity to join. Reading is one of the pillars of the Arabic language, and one that can become a tool of human development and innovation." Mr. Hanbazazah additionally pointed out the role played by the competition in promoting knowledge and raising awareness by encouraging youth to compete, as well as praising the role that Ithra continues to play in nurturing a passion for literature and reading through its library, which has received more than one million visitors since the center's inception.

The two-day closing ceremony of this year's edition witnessed the participation and attendance of several high-profile dignitaries as speakers, panelists and special guests engaging in dialogues and discussions on key literary and cultural topics.

Attendees included writer, novelist, and Nobel Prize winner for Literature, Orhan Pamuk, as a guest of honor, Moroccan intellectual Dr. Abdel Fattah Kilito, a cultural attendee at the ceremony; Bahraini poet Qassem Haddad; a panel discussion with Dr. Saad Al-Bazai from Saudi, Kuwaiti novelist Buthaina Al-Issa, and Sudanese poet Rawdha Al-Hajj; a discussion session with Dr. Abdullah Al-Sufyani and Professor Muhammad Al-Fraih, moderated by Egyptian writer Muhammad Shoair.

The final program included book signings of the latest works by Booker Prize-nominated Iraqi novelist Mohsen Al-Ramli and Omani novelist Bushra Khalfan, the latest works of Emirati poet and short story writer Sultan Al-Amimi, Moroccan writer Dr. Abdel Fattah Kilito, and Egyptian novelist Tariq Imam, alongside further discussion sessions.

A sweeping victory for the contestants in the iRead competition

A key highlight witnessed Shahd Al-Qaisum awarded the Reader of the Year by the audience.

The panel of judges also announced the following winners

The Reading Ambassadors:

• Khazina Al Shammari
• Khuloud Al Anzi
• Maha Al Omari

The Translation Ambassadors:

• Munira Al Hwaidi
• Wijdan Al Widyani
• Marwan Al Rasheed

The panel also announced Zainab Al Nasser as the winner of the Young Readers track, while the jury selected Mohammad Al Khalifa after meeting the required criteria.

About Ithra

The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture — otherwise known as Ithra, an Arabic word meaning "enrichment" — is one of Saudi Arabia's most influential cultural institutions. It's a place where challenging perspectives meet creativity and transformative ideas. Through a variety of impactful programs, Ithra aims to inspire and enrich. Ithra is truly a place for all generations to enjoy and explore the human potential of hearts and minds.

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