DHAHRAN: The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture concluded the 10th Ithra Reading Program (iRead) competition on Saturday, celebrating a decade with the theme “Reading Leaves a Lasting Impression.”

The two-day event brought together finalists from across the Arab world, alongside a full cultural program of panels, performances, and book signings. Amin Nasser, the president and CEO of Saudi Aramco, presented awards to this year’s winners. 

Libyan Nesreen Abolouifa was named Arab World Reader of the Year; Morocco’s Hiba Yayamout won Reader of the Year for Best Text; Algeria’s Sarah Ben Ammar secured Reader of the Year by Public Vote; and Saudi participant Lana Al-Ghamdi was named Promising Reader. Sahar Al-Jehani was honored as Reading Ambassador, and Jeel El Jazira Private School in Jeddah received the Reading School Award. 

The Debater of the Year Team Award went to Amin Shaaban from Tunisia, Younes Al-Issaoui from Morocco, and Ben Ammar from Algeria.

The ceremony was broadcast live for the first time on Thaqafeyah, Saudia Alaan and channels in Tunisia, Morocco and Libya.

Ithra Director Mussab Al-Saaran praised the program’s impact, noting that more than half the hosts and moderators were former participants. He said: “They are reading (role) models who bring skills in dialogue, debate and critical thinking.”

He also announced the launch of the Arab Reading Index to track trends across the region.

As part of the festivities, the iconic Ithra building, which was designed by Norwegian firm Snohetta, glowed purple.

Norwegian Jon Fosse, the winner of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Literature, appeared in a Nobel Minds session moderated by Tariq Khawaji, cultural consultant to Ithra. 

Panels and book signings featured writers including Hoda Barakat, Ahmed Al-Huqail and Ibrahim Nasrallah.

The festival also featured the “iRead Marathon Screen” and the “iRead Exhibition,” documenting the competition’s decade-long journey, as well as the Kutubiya pre-owned book exchange.

Moroccan writer Mohammed Ait Hanna led a reading workshop, while industry experts gave their services in a special “behind the book” feature. An editor, a book cover designer and a literary agent conducted sessions.

Ithra staged “On the Banks of an Old Promise” in honor of the late Ghazi Al-Gosaibi, with several artists bringing Al-Gosaibi’s world to life with readings and artworks inspired by his themes.

The iRead competition received three honors this year: the Cultural Communication Award, the Athar Award, and the Arab Federation for Libraries and Information Award.