"Pride and Emotion" as Tunisian Twin Sisters Win Arabic Reading Challenge 2025
The eyes of those who came to welcome twin sisters Bissan and Bilsan, crowned champions of the Arabic Reading Challenge 2025, shone with pride and emotion during the closing ceremony held on Thursday at the Dubai World Trade Center.
A Sense of Pride
The sense of pride was palpable, particularly among their teachers, some of whom traveled from Kef to express their gratitude and acknowledge the unique journey of the two young prodigies, who are sixth-grade students at the 8 February 1958 school in Sakiet Sidi Youssef and have just joined the pilot college at the beginning of the year.
Their French teacher, Amel Kilani, from the pilot college in Kef, said she made the trip specifically to support them. When speaking about her two young students, her admiration, pride, and love are evident. "Bissan and Bilsan stand out in more ways than one, both in relation to their generation and previous generations," Amel Kilani affirms, explaining that it is uncommon to meet young people of their age (11 years) who have read 750 books. "I haven't seen young people with such a passion for reading in a long time," she declares, adding that this passion has enabled them to succeed in this challenge and will allow them to continue on the path of excellence and achievement.
A Tribute to Education and Passion
Mohamed Chouaib, their teacher at the primary school in Sakiet Sidi Youssef, shares this pride and primarily wants to acknowledge the education of the two young girls and their ability to learn and select information to use where necessary.
In an interview with a local radio station, the mother of Bissan and Bilsan expressed her pride that this first-ever victory for Tunisia was won by the delegation from Sakiet Sidi Youssef, a small delegation that is no stranger to heroes, she claims. "It's true that this achievement is the result of continuous work, a lot of effort, and guidance from both parents and the educational team, but it's especially the fruit of their innate passion for the Arabic language," she affirms.
A Historic Victory
Upon leaving the arrival hall, the two twins were swarmed by journalists but barely expressed themselves to share their joy and thank their parents and teachers.
Tunisian twin sisters Bissan and Bilsan Kouka were crowned champions of the Arabic Reading Challenge 2025 during the closing ceremony held on Thursday at the Dubai World Trade Center. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President of the United Arab Emirates, presented the award to the two sixth-grade students from the 8 February 1958 school in Sakiet Sidi Youssef, in the Kef governorate.
This ninth edition of the Arabic Reading Challenge, the largest Arabic reading initiative in the world, recorded a record participation: 32.23 million students from 50 countries, representing 132,112 schools and supervised by 161,004 supervisors, according to the organizers. Since its creation in 2015 by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives Foundation, the Arabic Reading Challenge aims to promote Arabic reading and culture among young people worldwide.
