Dubai Ruler: Initiative to supply school libraries with one million books

An initiative to provide school libraries with one million books was announced by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid on Thursday, kicking off the UAE's Month of Reading.

The aim of the initiative is to establish reading as a habit in the country and to support the country's libraries, the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai said.

"Today marks the beginning of the UAE’s Month of Reading, where everybody works on instilling this civilised habit in our society and generations," Sheikh Mohammed said.

"We can’t create a tolerant society and stable families without culture, reading or knowledge."

The year 2016 was dedicated to reading. In October that year, President Sheikh Khalifa announced a Reading Law which obliged schools to encourage reading among pupils, as well as a respect for books.

Books that are no longer wanted must not be destroyed, but preserved, reused or donated, Sheikh Mohammed said at the time.

Earlier in that year - which was declared the Year of Reading by Sheikh Khalifa - a Dh100m National Endowment for Reading was set up to support voluntary activities and a 10-year strategy aiming to make reading a lifelong habit for 50 per cent of Emirati adults and 80 per cent of pupils was launched.