UAE government school libraries to receive 11,900 books from du and Kalimat in 2016

As part of the UAE’s ‘Year of Reading 2016’ initiative

Dubai, UAE, 6 January, 2016: du has joined hands with publishing house Kalimat to contribute to the ‘Year of Reading’ initiative and inspire the next generation of book lovers by providing libraries of UAE government schools with 11,900 books this year. 

The UAE Leadership has declared 2016 as the ‘Year of Reading’ to consolidate the country’s position as the global capital for knowledge and culture. du will distribute 100 books to around 120 schools across the emirates in an ongoing effort to contribute to the development of the UAE knowledge economy. The region’s fastest growing telecommunications operator is collaborating with Kalimat – a leading publishing house that specialises in distributing children’s books which cast a spotlight on Arabic and local cultures, while exploring the contemporary challenges that children face today.

Her Excellency Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Founder and CEO of Kalimat Group, said: “Our cooperation with du is in line with His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s ‘Year of Reading 2016’ initiative. We believe in every child’s right to have access to books, as they are an important tool for educating children and enriching their knowledge. Ensuring that children have access to books plays a major role in benefitting the community by influencing a positive change in society, and thus contributing to building a brighter future for our children.”

Hala Badri, Executive Vice President of Brand and Communications at du, said: “The development of the next generation at various age stages has always been of major interest to us, at du, as these children represent the leaders of tomorrow. Our collaboration with Kalimat under the umbrella of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s pioneering initiative reiterates our commitment towards the younger generation. Through this collaboration, we aim to contribute to enhancing the awareness and knowledge of students throughout the UAE by inspiring them to read more, in addition to supporting local distribution houses and inspiring writers to continue offering interesting and educational content.”

Headquartered in Sharjah, Kalimat Group is a regionally leading publishing house that is committed to development through innovation within a motivating environment that praises creativity. The group consists of Kalimat, the award-winning publishing house specialised in children’s books, and Horouf, which aims at launching an innovative and leading drive that links learning Arabic language to entertainment and keeps pace with future development requirements. Additionally, the group includes Riwayat that is specialized in publishing short stories and novels addressing adults and adolescents. Kalimat has published more than 175 quality books for children, where most of them received several awards and appreciation certificates on the local, Arabic and international levels, and were translated to various languages. The leading publishing house offers a wide array of books that shed light on the traditional Arabic culture and the modern challenges that face children.