Lebanon (Enmaeya Feature) – November 3, 2025
Al-Haddadin Official Girls’ Secondary School in Tripoli experienced an extraordinary morning on the day of the results announcement.
After weeks of anticipation, the school administration received an exceptional phone call from the United Arab Emirates carrying thrilling news: “Watch the results ceremony; you are among the top-ranked schools.”
From that moment, excitement filled the school corridors as anticipation and joy spread everywhere.
Everyone waited, everyone hoped… until the big surprise arrived: Al-Haddadin ranked first in the entire Arab world among more than 132,000 schools participating in the Arab Reading Challenge!
At the ceremony in Dubai attended by representatives from across the Arab world, school principal Hiba Abbas received the Excellence Trophy from Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior.
This victory was no coincidence but the result of a long journey of dedication and hard work that began in 2019, when the school first participated in the challenge and won third place among 67,000 schools, becoming the only Lebanese school to reach that advanced stage.
Since then, the school has continued to strengthen its educational and cultural programs, culminating in this year’s historic achievement.
In an exclusive statement to Enmaeya, the school administration shared that several official bodies, including the Ministry of Education, had reached out to them.
They said, “On the morning of the announcement, the principal received a call from the UAE congratulating us and asking us to have the students follow the ceremony.
We knew then that we were among the top finalists—but the true surprise came when our school was named first place in the Arab world.”
The administration added, “From that moment, official congratulations began pouring in, and the atmosphere was filled with joy and pride among students, teachers, and parents alike.
It was a beautiful dream realized through everyone’s efforts.”
Concluding their remarks, the administration extended heartfelt appreciation to the school’s Arabic language teachers, emphasizing that the victory was the result of teamwork and genuine collaboration.
They said, “We send our deep gratitude to all the teachers who worked tirelessly—especially supervisors Farah Yakan and Salam Shateh—and to our students who proved that determination and perseverance make the impossible possible.
We stood together as one team, and that’s why we earned this honor".
This achievement is a source of pride for Tripoli and all of Lebanon, reaffirming that public education remains capable of excellence and creativity—when guided by vision, faith, and collective effort.
