Prevalence of developmental dyslexia among primary school children in Arab countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
One in nine Arab primary pupils have dyslexia—plan reading supports for boys and Gulf-region classes first.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Aldakhil (2024) pooled 18 Arab studies that screened over 30,000 primary-school children for dyslexia.
The team used meta-analysis to turn separate country reports into one regional estimate.
What they found
About 1 in 9 Arab primary pupils have dyslexia.
Boys showed higher rates than girls.
Gulf and Asian-Arab regions were at the top of the range.
How this fits with other research
Scattoni et al. (2023) used the same school-wide counting method in Italy and found a similar 1 in 75 rate for autism, showing the approach works across cultures.
Jin et al. (2018) also screened classes in Shanghai, but their ASD count was far lower. The gap looks like a contradiction until you see they only caught the most severe cases—81% had IQs under 40—so milder kids were missed.
Lugo Marín et al. (2018) took the meta-analysis idea into adulthood, estimating that 6% of average-IQ adults with autism also have schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Together these papers form a chain: count in schools, adjust for case definition, then track lifelong overlap.
Why it matters
If you assess or teach in Arab schools, expect at least one child with dyslexia in every average class of nine. Use early screeners, watch boys and Gulf-region pupils more closely, and plan reading interventions accordingly.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Dyslexia is one of the most common learning disabilities. It poses challenges in reading skills development and can have a lasting impact in other areas of learning. AIMS: To investigate the prevalence of developmental dyslexia among primary school children aged 6-13 in Arab countries, and to explore associations with gender and residency. METHOD: Following the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines, we included studies up to December 2023 that were found in English and Arabic research database searches. Random-effects proportional meta-analyses determined the prevalence of dyslexia in Arab countries, with a direct comparison between girls and boys using odds ratios. RESULTS: The meta-analysis included 18 studies with 30,243 participants: eight studies (44 %) from Egypt, four (22 %) from Saudi Arabia, and six (34 %) from other Arab countries. The pooled prevalence of dyslexia for children aged 6-13 in these studies was 11 %. The odds ratio for girls vs. boys was 0.85 (95 %). Geographical variations were notable, with eight studies (44 %) from Asia and ten (56 %) from Africa. Eight studies (44 %) were from the Gulf region, while ten (56 %) were from non-Gulf region. Prevalence of dyslexia was significantly higher in Arab countries in Asia (24 %) than in Africa (12 %), and the prevalence in non-Gulf countries was 13 % which was nearly half in comparison to Gulf countries (24 %). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence rates of dyslexia in primary school children varies across the Arab world, with higher rates among boys, Arab countries in Asia, and Gulf countries. Further research is needed to include both genders and standardized diagnostics across more Arab countries to understand and address dyslexia effectively.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2024 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2024.104812