The Community Campaign to Promote Sustainable Reading, launched by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), continues to achieve success in its efforts to strengthen the presence of the Arabic language and establish a culture of reading across society.
Launched under the slogan ‘Knowledge Illuminates Our Community’ and in line with the declaration of 2025 as the ‘Year of Community’, the Campaign set out to reach 50,000 beneficiaries across all segments of society. This supports the Centre’s strategy to cultivate a reading culture among the public and younger generations, while enhancing the Arabic language and expanding its cultural and intellectual presence.
The Community Campaign to Support Sustainable Reading has so far reported 57,549 beneficiaries from its activities and flagship initiatives, representing approximately 115% of the target. Building on these results, the ALC is preparing to launch a new initiative under the Campaign’s umbrella to support efforts to create and enrich home libraries and connect families with books, which serve as an authentic source for acquiring knowledge, empowering the Arabic language, and reinforcing reading as a daily habit.
The new initiative, titled ‘Build Your Home Library’, will roll out in two phases: the first will target employees of the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), before expanding to include schools and government entities across the emirate. This phase will benefit DCT Abu Dhabi employees, with the objective of promoting a culture of reading in the workplace and encouraging staff to make books a part of their daily lives, both at work and at home.
The initiative will offer more than 800 titles drawn from the ALC’s publications. Each employee wishing to establish a home library will receive a set of 54 books in celebration of the 54th Eid Al Etihad (UAE National Day). Through this initiative, the Centre seeks to link reading with work – recognising reading as a source of knowledge and innovation – and to reinforce the notion that an employee who reads is an inspired, productive employee who contributes to spreading awareness and shaping a more cultured society.
His Excellency Saeed Hamdan Al Tunaiji, Executive Director of the ALC, said: “The ‘Build Your Home Library’ initiative reinforces the objectives of the Community Campaign to Support Sustainable Reading and strengthens the role of the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi as an institution that nurtures knowledge and culture, and strives to enhance the employee experience and connect them with the Department’s vision and values.”
“The notable increase in the number of beneficiaries of the Campaign, surpassing the target figure before the end of the year, reflects two things,” His Excellency added. “The first is the Emirati community’s deep pride in its cultural heritage and its belief in the role of reading. The second is the Centre’s remarkable success, through scientific studies and surveys, in designing initiatives and activities that cater to the diverse segments of society. These figures are not merely statistics but performance indicators that help steer activities and initiatives to align with public preferences and profiles, making it easier for members of the community to access and acquire books.”
“These indicators, coupled with the notable growth in beneficiaries, have prompted the launch of this new initiative, which seeks to enable families in Abu Dhabi to establish rich libraries at home,” H.E. Al Tunaiji explained. “Academic excellence and intellectual brilliance have long been associated with having a home library that makes books, knowledge, and reading partners in raising children and guiding the younger generations.”
The Community Campaign to Promote Sustainable Reading is set to run until the end of 2025. It has delivered more than 2,000 creative activities, including 250 key events and initiatives, implemented in collaboration with 97 government and private entities and with the participation of around 400 creatives. Through its diverse activities and ever-evolving initiatives, the Campaign reflects the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre’s commitment to promoting reading as a sustainable cultural practice and expanding the reach of Arabic content, thereby strengthening community identity and supporting the transition towards a knowledge-based economy.
