Sheikh Mohammed congratulates winner of Arab Reading Challenge on her graduation from NYUAD

Fatima Al Nuaimi graduated from the university in Abu Dhabi with a distinction

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, congratulated the winner of the 2016 Arab Reading Challenge on her graduation.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, has congratulated the first winner of the Arab Reading Challenge on her graduation from  New York University Abu Dhabi.

Fatima Al Nuaimi was the first pupil to receive a certificate from Sheikh Mohammed for the reading challenge in 2016 and graduated in a remote ceremony on Wednesday with excellent grades.

“I had laid a kiss on my daughter's head in 2016 as she ranked first at the state level in the reading challenge," Sheikh Mohammed said on Twitter on Thursday.

"Yesterday, my daughter Fatima Al Nuaimi graduated from Abu Dhabi New York University with distinction. Congratulations.

"The country flourishes with you, thrives in reading and rises with knowledge."

Ms Al Nuaimi completed the Arab Reading Challenge in its inaugural year alongside more than 160,000 pupils from 828 schools, who together read a total of five million books in the school year.

The Arab Reading Challenge was launched by Sheikh Mohammed in 2015 to encourage a million young people to read 50 books in a year.

The initiative has proved a huge success story, with last year's installment attracting more than 13 million entrants from 49 nations.

On Wednesday, nearly 300 students from more than 75 countries graduated from NYUAD at a virtual commencement ceremony.

Ms Al Nuaimi, from the Class of 2020, earned a distinction.

More than 7,100 viewers from around the world tuned in to share the celebration.

Three graduating seniors from NYUAD also crafted an open letter of thanks to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, as their undergraduate experience came to an end.