Latifa bint Mohammed Inaugurates Second Edition Of 'Reading For Pleasure' Conference
Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairperson of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), inaugurated the ‘Reading for Pleasure’ conference, organised for the second time in the region by the Emirates Literature Foundation.
The conference, being held under the theme ‘Beyond the Classroom, at the Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences from 9 - 11 May 2025, features case studies and panel discussions on STEM, diversity and inclusion, artificial intelligence and the preservation of culture and language for future generations. The eventhas brought together experts from China, Egypt, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Syria, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the US and the UAE, enabling over 1,000 parents, teachers, librarians, and educators to hear from and network with more than 50 local and international experts, across almost as many sessions.
Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammedcommended the initiative as a meaningful step towards fostering a culture of learning and curiosity among young people. She noted that the ‘Reading for Pleasure’ initiative reflects a shared responsibility to nurture a lifelong love for reading that extends beyond academic achievement in children.
“By instilling a love of reading from an early age, we are nurturing generations of lifelong learners, individuals who are curious, informed, and inspired to shape the future with confidence and creativity,” said Her Highness.
“This initiative reflects the visionary leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, whose strong belief in the transformative power of education continues to shape the UAE’s cultural and intellectual landscape.By celebrating reading as a source of personal enrichment and intellectual empowerment, we are laying the foundation for a new generation of thinkers, creators, and leaders equipped to build a more vibrant and informed future,”Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed further said.
Ahead of the official opening, Her Highness met with several local and international speakers participating in the conference, exchanging insights and expressing her appreciation for their dedication to advancing literacy and educational development.
He continued: “We are honoured to welcome experts from around the world to share their knowledge and help the delegates take away tangible ideas that can be put into practice immediately. We are most grateful to the generosity of our sponsors for making the conference possible and for their belief in the importance of reading for pleasure. As the ‘Reading for Pleasure’ initiative continues gaining momentum, we recognise its impact extends far beyond any single event or individual. Together — parents, teachers and educators — we create a powerful legacy that will shape generations of young readers.”
His Excellency Zaki Nusseibeh, Chancellor - UAE University, said: "Learning to read is the beginning of a fulfilled and meaningful life. Reading unlocks the treasures of all knowledge, and it nurtures empathy between cultures and across generations. Reading ignites curiosity, sparks imagination, and feeds creativity. When we foster the love of reading, we safeguard the foundations of civilisation and inspire future generations to live fully."
Her Excellency Aisha Miran, Director General, Knowledge and Human Development Authority, said: “True literacy goes beyond testing and grades; it’s about nurturing imagination, empathy, and a lifelong love for learning. At KHDA, our mission to promote quality education and wellbeing goes beyond classrooms and into the heart of our communities. Through the Education 33 strategy and our support for initiatives like ‘Reading for Pleasure’, we are building a culture where reading in every language – including Arabic – is embraced as a source of joy, creativity and connection. This conference offers a valuable opportunity to gather insights from parents, educators and experts so we can work together to raise children who read because they love to, and not just because they are told to.”
Dr.Fuzan Al Khalidi, Director of Programs and Initiatives at MBRGI said: “The Reading for Pleasure conference is an inspiring, unique initiative designed to promote reading and underscore its vital role in shaping a brighter future for new generations—a future grounded in knowledge and creativity. This aligns perfectly with the mission of the Arab Reading Challenge initiative, launched in 2015. The initiative has sparked a widespread intellectual movement across the Arab world, mobilizing governments and communities alike to cultivate a culture of reading and champion the Arabic language. Now in its ninth edition, with qualifying rounds currently underway in 50 countries, the Arab Reading Challenge has witnessed remarkable growth, boasting an unprecedented 32,231,000 student participants—a surge of over 795% since its inception.
Daniel Van Otterdijk, Chief Communications Officer of Group Communications at DP World, said: “As a global company with deep local roots, we remain committed to supporting long-term societal development in the UAE. As part of our sustainability strategy, we invest in educational initiatives that support the nation’s ambition to build a knowledge-based economy, in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The success of initiatives like the Reading for Pleasure conference demonstrates the power of public-private collaboration to drive scalable, measurable impact across the education sector.”
Isobel Abulhoul OBE, Founder, Advisor and Member of the Board of Trustees of the Emirates Literature Foundation, said: “Each of us at the Emirates Literature Foundation is dedicated to ensuring that we give young people a chance to enjoy reading as well as a chance to fall in love with books and become lifelong readers and learners. The ‘Reading for Pleasure’ initiative, and subsequently the ‘Reading for Pleasure’ Conference, was born out of this urgent need. Humanity is uniquely shaped by their ability to speak, read and write — to record its histories, hopes, dreams, and fantasies. We need to safeguard these abilities. Learning to read is just the beginning; it is then vital that a child has a chance to read a book that will ignite the flames of imagination, interest, and enjoyment and spark a hunger to read more.”
Boutros Boutros, Executive Vice President, Corporate Communications, Marketing & Brand for Emirates, said:“Supporting the ‘Reading for Pleasure’ conference is an extension of our commitment to building a community around literature and empowering the next generation of avid readers in the UAE. We’re proud to connect educators, parents, schools and children with world-renowned experts and academics and unlock opportunities to develop their knowledge around reading and education. Once again, events like this showcase the evolution of the UAE’s literary landscape and nurturing the talents shaping its future.”
Conference Programme and Speakers
Key sessions at the conference included Why Diversity Matters in Children’s Literature with award-winning author, Paralympian, and disability advocate Jessica Smith; Read with Robots with researchers from MIT; Family Literacy in Greater China with lawyer, columnist, and board governor of the Feng Zikai Chinese Children’s Book Award Annie Ho Ting; Reading for STEM with presenter, educator and award-winning science writer Isabel Thomas; Emirati Fathers’ Insights – The Joy of Reading with Dr. Anna Dillon and Kay Gallagher from Emirates College for Advanced Education; and Is Arabic Language Keeping Pace with AI? with Director of Medical Library, Sultan Qabous University Dr Abdullah Al Hinaai and Lecturer in Arabic Language, Abdullah Al-Salem University SafeyahAlzayed. The full list of conference sessions is available here.
International speakers included Anna Boni, former World Bank education specialist; Dr Ibrahim Alhussein, Consultant at the UNESCO Regional Center for Quality and Excellence in Education; Dr Sabine Little, Director of Education at the University of Sheffield; Kathleen Rastle, cognitive psychologist; Michael Asher, historian and award-winning desert explorer; and Teresa Cremin, Professor of Education at The Open University.
Distinguished speakers from the UAE included Her Excellency Aisha Miran, Director General -Knowledge and Human Development Authority; His Excellency Zaki Nusseibeh, Cultural Advisor to the President of the UAE and the Chancellor of UAE University; and Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi, Emirati columnist and founder of Barjeel Art Foundation.
Representatives from the publishing industry endorsed the conference, which included participants from Al Futtaim Education, Al Hudhud Publishing, Arabic Reader Center, Cambridge University Press, Dar Loaloa, DK, Hachette, Harper Collins, Kalimat, Kiwi Publishing, Oxford University Press, Penguin Random House, and Scholastic.
The full list of conference speakers is available here.
Initiative Summary
The ‘Reading for Pleasure’ initiative is a five-year pilot initiative that was initiated in 2023 through a memorandum of understanding between Emirates Literature Foundation and DP World, encouraging healthy reading habits in both Arabic and English. As the organising body, the Emirates Literature Foundation engaged with parents, students, and educators from six primary-level schools within Dubai. Their work is focused on enhancing school and classroom libraries, creating outdoor reading spaces, providing age- and culture-appropriate book lists and reading material, arranging visits with authors and supporting teachers with professional development opportunities. The aim is to create centres of excellence that can be replicated across the UAE and the region.
Initiative Partnerships
Teams from Zayed University, UAE University, Higher Colleges of Technology, University of Birmingham, and University of Cambridge collected baseline data and are conducting extensive research to create a bank of local data on the five-year ‘Reading for Pleasure’ Initiative.
Since the inaugural conference in 2024, the Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences have come onboard as venue partner, Emirates Airline as travel partner and Mohammed Bin Rashid Global Initiatives and Arab Reading Challenge have offered their invaluable strategic support.
For more details about the initiative, please visit their website here
