RIYADH: The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture is to host the closing ceremony of the ninth Reading Enrichment Program, known as iRead, to promote reading culture and celebrate knowledge.
The event, which uses the slogan “Reading Bridges Worlds” and is an initiative by Saudi Aramco, is scheduled for Oct. 11-12 at the Ithra Center in Dhahran and will feature readers from across the Arab world competing in the essays and debates contests.
Two Nobel laureates in literature, Dr. Abdulrazak Gurnah and Olga Tokarczuk, are set to attend, along with many readers, authors, and literary figures from the region.
The cultural program includes an interview with Saudi critic Abdullah Al-Ghathami; a fireside chat with Algerian author Ahlam Mosteghanemi; a recital by Sudanese poet Mohamed Abdelbari; the Kutubiya book swapping exhibition; and several book signings.
This year’s competition received an impressive 106,000 submissions from the Arab world.
Ten participants from seven countries — Saudi Arabia, Syria, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, and Iraq — have advanced to the finals, where they will present for the Reader of the Year title.
Those attending can also vote for the Audience’s Favorite Reader award.
Tareq Alkhawaji, cultural adviser at Ithra, said: “The iRead competition is a shining example of Ithra’s pioneering role in promoting reading as a vital tool for enriching the knowledge of future generations.
“This transformative experience enhances the research, reading, writing, editing, publishing and public speaking skills of all participants.
“We are thrilled to see such a large and diverse group of applicants from all over the Arab world participate in iRead. This success reflects the competition’s position in developing and empowering not just Saudi, but Arab talents in critical reading and creative writing.
“It also solidifies Ithra’s mission as an Arabic content creator and underscores its goal of inspiring 100,000 young men and women by 2030.”
