Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation Launches Dubai International Children’s Book Fair

Dubai-UAE- 23 November, 2008 - The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation today announced the launch of the first ‘Dubai International Children’s Book Fair’, reinforcing Dubai’s position as a leading cultural centre and establishing the UAE as the major force behind the knowledge development drive in the Arab World. 

The first of its kind in the UAE, the children-focused book fair reflects the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, for promoting knowledge-based societies throughout the region. 

His Highness Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, said: “Children in the Arab world are estimated at more than 120 million, most of whom live in communities that face several social and economic challenges. This factor has motivated the Foundation to launch a new initiative aimed at reversing the situation through a series of useful cultural activities under the fair’s banner to promote children’s learning skills.”

The initiative will include a round-the-year cultural agenda that will actively seek to instill the habit of reading in children, both in the UAE and across the Arab world. As part of its calendar, the first edition of the children’s book fair will be held in Dubai towards the end of 2009, underlining the Foundation’s broader commitment to establishing knowledge as the prime platform for Arab development through encouraging edified literary production for younger generations across the region.

His Highness Sheikh Majid added: “Our goal is to reinforce the UAE’s position as the key promoter of a pan-Arab knowledge development, establishing Dubai as an international literature hub. We also aim to grant children’s literature a new impetus, encouraging enhanced reading habits among the young. The fair will open new avenues for culture exchange and enable writers specialized in children’s literature to network and discuss common challenges that face the generation worldwide.”

The ’Mobile Library‘ will be one of the key initiatives to be launched by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation under the Dubai International Children’s Book Fair banner. In its initial phase, the Mobile Library will tour remote areas in the UAE, particularly those with limited access to public libraries, before extending its offerings to neighbouring Arab countries. The concept will offer valuable reading opportunities for children, and make available a fine selection of books covering a wide range of interesting and useful topics.

The Dubai International Children’s Book Fair will also set up the UAE’s first children-centric public library. It will play a key role in stimulating the habit of reading among different age groups across the country. Designed on best international standards in terms of layout and content, the library will provide conducive environment that balances learning with fun to encourage children to read, and serve as a key gateway for introducing them to the world of knowledge.