Dhahran – December 3, 2025 | BETH

After a decade of nurturing readers and elevating the culture of reading, the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) is preparing to launch the final ceremony of the 10th edition of the “Read” Competition, held under the theme: “The Impact of Reading Never Fades.”
The two-day ceremony, taking place on December 5–6, 2025, marks the culmination of a ten-year journey that shaped a generation whose influence extended far beyond the written word.

Six Readers Competing for the Title “Reader of the Year”

This year’s edition features six contestants from across the Arab world competing for the title of Reader of the Year over two literary evenings that balance aesthetic presence with intellectual debate.
Norwegian novelist Jon Fosse, winner of the 2023 Nobel Prize in Literature, will take part in the event through a special appearance in the “Nobel Minds” session.

Opening Round

The six finalists will present their selected readings and respond to questions from the judging panel in a challenge that measures both breadth of knowledge and depth of understanding.
The finalists represent: Saudi Arabia – Morocco – Algeria – Tunisia – Libya.

A Rich Program Open to the Public

The event includes:

Discussions with writers and intellectuals

Book-signing platforms

Poetry performances

Interactive activities reconnecting the public with the world of reading

Three Final Tracks

Finalists will compete across three key tracks:

Creative text performance in a distinguished artistic format

A thought-provoking debate on the impact of artificial intelligence on creative writing

A direct Q&A round testing the depth of knowledge and intellectual agility

At the end of the evening, the winners of “Reader of the Year” and “Debater of the Year” will be announced, alongside a public vote for the audience’s favorite reader.

Parallel Activities

The program features several accompanying events, including:

A poetic and artistic performance exploring the legacy of Ghazi Al-Gosaibi

Literary Text Reading Workshop

“Your Literary Twin” interactive space helping visitors identify their reading preferences

Read Marathon Screen

Read Exhibition, documenting the competition’s journey

Al-Kuttabiya Exhibit for exchanging used books

A dedicated store offering publications by guest authors

Awards and Recognition

This year, the “Read” Competition received three notable awards:

Civilizational Communication Award

Athar Award

Arab Federation for Libraries and Information Award

These recognitions further affirm the competition’s standing as a leading cultural platform in the Arab world.