The President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has issued a first-of-its-kind law designed to put legislation and executive programmes in place and define governmental duties to cement the importance of reading in the UAE.

Sheikh Khalifa said the law aims to invest in human beings and boost the UAE’s image as a shining example for others in the region. He also noted that reading and knowledge are key for the UAE’s continued development. The law aims to support human resources development and contribute to building mental and cognitive capabilities, while supporting national intellectual production and building knowledge-based societies in the country.

The law, he noted, aims to make learning a lifelong process for all members of society, and to promote the intellectual and cultural assets of the UAE’s citizens.

The Law

> The law defines governmental duties to cement the importance of reading in the UAE

> It obliges coffee shops at shopping malls to offer reading material for its customers

> The law will grant employees dedicated time to read during working hours

> It essentially makes reading a right for everyone

> It aims to make learning a lifelong process

> The government will provide a ‘knowledge briefcase’ to families with newborn children

“Our goal is to prepare generations which work towards excelling and achieving the vision of the UAE, which since its inception, has recognised the importance of knowledge, science and culture, and harnessed them in the best interests of the homeland and the Emiratis,” he said.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, hailed the law, saying: “The law has the same cultural value as reading, and transforms it to an integrated government project.”

Sheikh Mohammed celebrated the announcement with the top students of the Arab Reading Challenge in his office at the Emirates Towers, Dubai.

“Our goal is to make reading a daily habit for the people and competent institutions should translate the law into reality,” Sheikh Mohammed said.

He noted that the law, which was based on international legal experiences, takes into consideration the local heritage and Arab identity. He also stressed the importance of reading as a right for everyone in society that is granted by law, and said the government will provide a “knowledge briefcase” to families with newborn children.

“We seek to promote reading and knowledge in schools, universities, foundations, homes and across the state,” he noted. “Our goal is to make reading a daily habit for the people and competent institutions should translate the law into reality.”

The law also will grant employees dedicated time to read during working hours, and consolidates the cultural image of books in society and obliges coffee shops in shopping malls to offer reading material for its customers.