For parents who have a budding bookworm at home or are looking for a way to get the kids off their screens this summer, Saudi Arabia has started a fun incentive to pick up a book. The Summer Reading Challenge 2026 is now open for registrations across the Kingdom, and there are prizes up for grabs.
The initiative is launched by the Libraries Commission, and encourages children and teenagers to spend part of their summer reading books suited to their age group while developing their knowledge and skills along the way.
The challenge is being held in partnership with the Kutubi platform, Jabal Amman Publishers and Nadeem Company, and is supported by the Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Jumaih Charitable Foundation. It runs until Sunday, 30 August and is open to children aged 6 to 14. Depending on their age group, kids must read a selection of books as appropriate.
For extra motivation, the challenge comes with cash prizes worth up to SAR 100,000 in total. The aim is to encourage young participants to make reading part of their daily routine while discovering new ideas, building skills, and developing a lasting love of books.
The Libraries Commission is encouraging parents to get involved and make reading a fun part of the summer holidays. Rather than simply filling the school-break schedule, the challenge offers a chance to combine learning and entertainment. It also helps children develop skills in areas such as critical thinking, analysis, and research.
The initiative also forms part of wider efforts to encourage a stronger reading culture across Saudi Arabia and support the goals of the Human Capability Development Programme and Saudi Vision 2030.
For those eyeing the top spots, the prizes are divided across the winners, with SAR 15,000 going to first place, SAR 12,000 to second, SAR 10,000 to third, SAR 8,000 to fourth, and SAR 5,000 to fifth.
With books, summer holidays and a share of SAR 100,000 on the table, this could be a good time to swap a little screen time for reading time. Those interested can register on engage.moc.gov.sa.
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