ABU DHABI // The pillars of creativity lie in the pages of books, and reading and the spread of knowledge are key to national development and progress, said Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.
The Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai on Tuesday said reading was “key to knowledge and a bridge to reach the highest levels of innovation across various sectors”.
“The UAE has selected creativity and innovation as pathways to progress. The pillar of this creativity lies between the covers and pages of the book,” he said.
“So, open up new avenues of knowledge for them [children] and help them make research and curiosity a habit from an early age.
“This will help develop a generation of scholars and scientists who will pursue progress and development.”
Sheikh Mohammed urged the media to help nurture a culture of reading among the youth. “Help youngsters to read as it is a key to promote the development of nations. The love of reading is taught from an early age, and becomes a habit and culture that you cannot live without,” he said.
Speaking at his weekly gathering at Zabeel Palace, which was attended by Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed, and a number of ministers, heads of local departments and dignitaries, Sheikh Mohammed also highlighted the commitment shown by the UAE to encourage reading under President Sheikh Khalifa, which was reflected in the issuance of the first law on reading.
He hailed the law, which is aimed at promoting reading among all of society.
Sheikh Mohammed also praised the Arab Reading Challenge and its role in encouraging more than one million students to read over 50 million books, reported Wam, the state news agency.
newsdesk@theantional.ae
