UAE President allocates Dh6 million for purchase of books for school libraries

Abu Dhabi: President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan has allocated Dh6 million to be used for the purchase of books and educational resources for school libraries across the country.

The purchases will be made from the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, which kicked off its 31st edition in the capital on Monday. Books and materials that are obtained using the grant will support the publishing sector and also enrich school libraries with useful references books that support students of all ages.

Advancing knowledge

“This generous grant from His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed offers a strong foundation to continue our efforts to keep the local and Arab publishing market globally competitive. It will also play an effective role in advancing knowledge and culture in the UAE. Through this, the next generation’s increased accessibility to content will inspire their enthusiasm for knowledge and learning, while enhancing their imagination, innovation and creativity,” said Dr Ali bin Tamim, director of the Arabic Language Centre, the Arabic wing of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi). The two entities work to organise the annual book event in the capital.

This year, ADIBF boasts 1,000 publishers from 80 countries, including a vast range of publishers from the Arab World. The fair, which is expected to attract nearly 150,000 visitors, will run at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre until May 29.

German titles

More than 400 sessions, including workshops and book signings, will occupy attendees at the book fair, which spans 73,000 square metres. In addition to works in English and Arabic, titles are available in a number of other languages, including German. In fact, Germany is the Guest of Honour at this edition of ADIBF, with German literature and creativity in discussion at several sessions.

“We have selected Germany as the Guest of Honour because of the long-standing relations we share with the German Federation across various sectors. The Fair is now at the heart of our project for the creative industries; it has a tremendous impact on the knowledge economy, which, in turn, is an integral part of the UAE’s development,” Dr bin Tamim said.

“We are delighted to participate in this important cultural event and introduce German culture from the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. We have set a busy schedule of events, bringing together 10 authors and illustrators and more than 30 German publishers to display their latest works and achievements. The objective is to promote collaboration and common grounds between Arab and German intellectuals and publishers, and we look forward to being part of this event, especially after two years of distancing caused by the pandemic and its impact on the publishing industry. This participation is certainly an ideal opportunity to build bridges between Arab and Emirati culture, on the one hand, and German culture, on the other, and to benefit from the exhibition’s renowned status to strengthen partnership and cooperation among publishers around the world,” said Juergen Boos, director of the Frankfurt Book Fair.

The emirate’s education sector regulator, the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (Adek), has also designed a set of experiences to encourage reading among young children visiting the ADIBF.

“Global studies show that children who read for 20 minutes a day are exposed to more than two million words a year and score 90 per cent or higher on standardised tests. We continue our focus on instilling a culture of reading among our community in line with the objectives of UAE National Policy for Reading, especially considering its role in supporting children’s cognitive and social development,” said Amer Al Hammadi, Adek undersecretary.

The authority’s ADIBF stand therefore present a variety of exciting challenges and competitions that can only be solved through reading, as well as unique interactive experiences that allow students in grades 7 to 10 to learn about book genres that best suit their personalities. Additionally, parents visiting the pavilion can learn about the stages of reading development for children, as well as their pivotal role in encouraging children to read.

“Developing a ‘reader personality’ begins at birth. Children whose parents read for them regularly show faster rates of language development, and can communicate better with the world around them. Moreover, reading to children is an important opportunity to strengthen family bonds,” Al Hammadi said.

Precautions

To attend, visitors aged 16 years and older simply need to present a Green Pass on the UAE’s official Al Hosn app, whereas unvaccinated visitors have to present a negative PCR test result obtained within the previous 96 hours. This requirement is waived for visitors less than 16 years, but all visitors must wear masks.