UAE READS THIS MONTH
The UAE Ministry of Culture and Youth has several projects to encourage reading among the citizens of the country. Announcing March as Reading Month 2022 under the slogan ‘UAE Reads’, the authority embodies the national vision to prepare a generation of readers and establish the UAE as a culture and knowledge hub.
In a statement to the media recently, Noura Bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of Culture and Youth said: “The Reading Month is closely linked to the efforts of the UAE to establish a knowledge-based economy for the country’s progress and the well-being of its citizens and prepare for the future. Promoting a reading culture in society and driving initiatives aimed at raising the level of intellectual growth among its people are key priorities in the annual agenda of the government and private sectors in the UAE.”
Reading, she said, gives us a new perspective on things and an ability to analyse. ‘It is an essential part of learning and helps develop our ability to gain knowledge from around the world. It helps us make the right choices in life and develops our personality. Reading is the foundation of a knowledge-based society, which in turn helps build a knowledge-based economy.”
The Reading Month is an annual event during which various government and private entities along with educational and cultural institutions participate in a roster of programmes to build a readers’ society armed with science and knowledge. Reading develops the mental faculties and boosts selfconfidence, while also helping people achieve professional success. It’s a great tool to enrich one’s mother tongue and helps in learning new languages. Reading fosters constructive cultural dialogue between people and cultures. The slogan ‘UAE Reads’ is based on the vision of the late Founding Father of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, which goes to say that nation-building is not only focused on material or technological development, but depends primarily on building the human capital.
The slogan ‘UAE Reads’ also works to enhance community’s participation and supports institutions to launch activities and events throughout the Reading Month, expanding the scope of reading initiatives to touch upon different walks of life.