DCT Abu Dhabi partners with UAE Embassies to promote culture of reading

ABU DHABI, 15th March, 2018 (WAM) -- The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, DCT Abu Dhabi, continues to organise events and launch initiatives with other concerned entities to facilitate the public’s access to books and learning resources covering all subjects of interest, as part of its continuous efforts aimed at spreading a habit of reading and passion for knowledge. Marking the Year of Zayed, DCT Abu Dhabi in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, launched the ‘Partnering with Government Institutions in the Year of Zayed 2018’ initiative. This step comes within the framework of activating cultural exchange with cultural and scientific institutions inside and outside the UAE, by presenting the publications of DCT Abu Dhabi to international institutions through overseas UAE embassies and government offices. The initiative helped provide books to 20 libraries in 19 countries, namely Spain, Australia, Kuwait, Germany, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Austria, USA, Japan, Greece, Ireland, Belgium, Singapore, Egypt, Switzerland, France and China. Abdullah Majed Al Ali, Acting Executive Director of the National Library Sector at DCT Abu Dhabi, highlighted the importance of this initiative as part of the Year of Zayed, due to its major role in introducing the Emirati community residing in countries abroad to the latest developments happening in the UAE regarding scientific and cultural products and publications. It also underlines the National Library’s effective role in sharing knowledge and spreading cultural awareness through the continuous support it provides to libraries and educational institutions on the local and international levels. Al Ali said, "This initiative reinforces a major cultural aspect in government entities, as it works to disseminate knowledge and cultural materials amongst them, which in turn attracts attention and new audiences to the cultural initiatives happening in Abu Dhabi. It is one of our priorities in DCT Abu Dhabi to encourage reading between society members from different ages and backgrounds, thus we have established extensive partnerships with all government and private institutions in Abu Dhabi to provide them with our most distinguished publications and make them accessible to all. "We also strive towards organising more specialised seminars and cultural activities during the month of reading, in addition to the Reading Workshops initiative. We have also allowed institutions equipped with libraries the opportunity to acquire and display our various publications, in order to establish reading as a daily practice and prepare a generation of educated readers, as well as to promote Abu Dhabi as a cultural tourist destination sustained with a culture of creativity and innovation." The initiative included distributing numerous books, most notable amongst them ‘the Art of Falconry’, ‘Traditional Folk Songs’, ‘The UAE Coasts In Ancient Times’, ‘Camels in the UAE Heritage’, ‘Narratives and Recollections From The UAE’s Past’, ‘The Sheikh Zayed Trilogy’, ‘Ethics and Literature: Zayed The Emirati Personality’, ‘Ateej Bin Rawd Al Dhaheri’, ‘The Extinct Sindhi Civilisations’, ‘The Substitution Phenomenon In Emirati Dialects’, ‘Abha Al Qifan’, ‘Wisdoms & Notions’ and many more.