Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has reviewed plans and construction stages for a Dh500 million endowment project being developed by Sobha Realty in Al Barsha South 3. What sets the project apart is that all of its returns, not a share of them, will be permanently channelled into funding the Arab Reading Challenge. the development will combine residential units, offices and commercial and service space, with construction set to begin in the first quarter of 2027 and take 36 months to complete. The design was built around architectural quality, economic efficiency and operational sustainability, aimed at generating a stable long-term income stream for the reading programme.

The visit came just two days after the tenth edition of the Arab Reading Challenge concluded on 29 October, with Egypt's Mayar Mohammed Ragab Othman crowned champion and awarded a Dh500,000 prize. This year's edition drew 40.3 million students from 60 countries, a 24 per cent jump on the previous year, with 138,000 schools and 161,000 supervisors taking part.

The Arab Reading Challenge, held annually across the UAE, encourages Arabic-speaking students to read and summarise 50 books a year as a way of strengthening the Arabic language and culture among young people. By locking in a permanent funding source through the new endowment, Sobha's project points to a model Dubai's private sector may increasingly follow in backing the UAE's long-running cultural and educational initiatives.