emirates7 - The Community Campaign to Promote Sustainable Reading, launched by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) in February to coincide with National Reading Month, has recorded significant achievements in its first six months.
Running under the theme “Knowledge Illuminates Our Community”, the initiative supports the UAE’s designation of 2025 as the Year of Community and reflects the ALC’s broader mission to promote the Arabic language and nurture a culture of reading across all generations.
As a year-long effort, the campaign highlighted reading as a vital tool for advancing the Year of Community’s goals. It aimed to reinforce Arabic as a key element of cultural identity, preserve shared heritage and values, and foster a lasting reading culture that resonates with the public—particularly encouraging young people to make reading a daily habit.
A variety of activities brought these aims to life, including special programmes during the 34th Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, which hosted 2,350 school visits. These events emphasised reading’s role in both personal growth and societal progress.
The campaign delivered over 2,000 creative initiatives, including 250 major events, in partnership with more than 100 public and private sector organisations. Nearly 400 creative professionals and over 15 universities took part, helping engage more than 50,000 people across schools, universities, institutions, and public venues. Outreach extended through both in-person and digital platforms.
Saeed Hamdan Al Tunaiji, ALC’s Executive Director, confirmed the campaign had achieved its performance targets, embedding reading as a sustainable practice in daily life. He noted that programming will continue until year-end, expanding to 14 distinct knowledge fields and offering a diverse mix of initiatives, seminars, reading circles, dialogue forums, workshops, and other innovative events for all ages and interests.
All ALC departments contributed, offering activities such as reading clubs, creative writing sessions, intellectual lectures, and author discussions. Notable highlights included Kalima Reading Club sessions, artistic forums, roaming “Khazanat Al Kutub” book tours, training courses, poetry nights, storytelling events, book launches, children’s programmes, and cultural competitions.
Special initiatives also celebrated Emirati heritage, explored artificial intelligence, and provided educational entertainment via radio broadcasts. The campaign produced video content and organised visits to libraries, schools, universities, and heritage sites.
Its flagship projects included Digital Reading Month on ALC’s literary award platforms—such as the Sheikh Zayed Book Award, the Kanz Al Jeel Award, and the Sard Al Thahab Award—which drew strong public participation. Other community-focused programmes like “100 Stories from Our Community” and “We Read for Children” aimed to inspire and empower young readers.
The “Child Reads” event offered an interactive and engaging reading experience for children, reflecting the Year of the Community’s spirit. The campaign also introduced the “Arabic Pals” competition, attracting participants of various ages and explaining its objectives, eligibility, and cultural and educational benefits.
Running under the theme “Knowledge Illuminates Our Community”, the initiative supports the UAE’s designation of 2025 as the Year of Community and reflects the ALC’s broader mission to promote the Arabic language and nurture a culture of reading across all generations.
As a year-long effort, the campaign highlighted reading as a vital tool for advancing the Year of Community’s goals. It aimed to reinforce Arabic as a key element of cultural identity, preserve shared heritage and values, and foster a lasting reading culture that resonates with the public—particularly encouraging young people to make reading a daily habit.
A variety of activities brought these aims to life, including special programmes during the 34th Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, which hosted 2,350 school visits. These events emphasised reading’s role in both personal growth and societal progress.
The campaign delivered over 2,000 creative initiatives, including 250 major events, in partnership with more than 100 public and private sector organisations. Nearly 400 creative professionals and over 15 universities took part, helping engage more than 50,000 people across schools, universities, institutions, and public venues. Outreach extended through both in-person and digital platforms.
Saeed Hamdan Al Tunaiji, ALC’s Executive Director, confirmed the campaign had achieved its performance targets, embedding reading as a sustainable practice in daily life. He noted that programming will continue until year-end, expanding to 14 distinct knowledge fields and offering a diverse mix of initiatives, seminars, reading circles, dialogue forums, workshops, and other innovative events for all ages and interests.
All ALC departments contributed, offering activities such as reading clubs, creative writing sessions, intellectual lectures, and author discussions. Notable highlights included Kalima Reading Club sessions, artistic forums, roaming “Khazanat Al Kutub” book tours, training courses, poetry nights, storytelling events, book launches, children’s programmes, and cultural competitions.
Special initiatives also celebrated Emirati heritage, explored artificial intelligence, and provided educational entertainment via radio broadcasts. The campaign produced video content and organised visits to libraries, schools, universities, and heritage sites.
Its flagship projects included Digital Reading Month on ALC’s literary award platforms—such as the Sheikh Zayed Book Award, the Kanz Al Jeel Award, and the Sard Al Thahab Award—which drew strong public participation. Other community-focused programmes like “100 Stories from Our Community” and “We Read for Children” aimed to inspire and empower young readers.
The “Child Reads” event offered an interactive and engaging reading experience for children, reflecting the Year of the Community’s spirit. The campaign also introduced the “Arabic Pals” competition, attracting participants of various ages and explaining its objectives, eligibility, and cultural and educational benefits.