MEETING OF MINDS

The recent Arab Reading Challenge not only touched hearts across the region, but also prompted novelist Paulo Coelho to write a letter of appreciation to His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. Here are some gems from their exchange of notes.

Shaikh Mohammed

The secrets of life and of self-discovery are revealed to those who abide by two rules and two rules only — to read and then, having read, to gain experience.

There is no future without books; no enlightenment or tolerance or coexistence, without books; no creativity or innovation or invention without books; no economic prosperity or pioneering or leadership, without books.

Paulo Coelho

By riding the vessels of knowledge, powered by the wind of reading, you (Shaikh Mohammed) will soon anchor on the shores of a very bright and prosperous future.

Reading is indeed the fundamental approach to uplifting any society out of its miseries. It is the first step on the path toward a positive change and is a fundamental building block of a bright future.

Prompted by the finals of the Arab Reading Challenge that took place in Dubai this week, thinker and novelist Paulo Coelho wrote a letter to His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, praising the UAE’s shift towards reading “as a first step on the path towards a positive change”.