Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC) has extended the first phase of its ‘Reading in Public’ initiative, which was launched at the beginning of the year, to include coffee shops around the Emirate of Abu Dhabi as part of its activities for Reading Month. This initiative aims to strengthen the culture of reading among all segments of the community.
To display its publications in Cartel Coffee Roasters’ locations around the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the ALC and the coffee company struck a partnership agreement. This arrangement is one of many that the Center intends to sign with coffee shops around the emirate to broaden the initiative’s appeal.
HE Saeed Hamdan Al Tunaiji, Executive Director of Abu Dhabi Language Centre, said that, “Applied experiments have demonstrated that making books available in social spaces draws more attention to them and presents reading as an alternative pastime, which, in turn, enhances the prevalence of reading, gradually turning it into a habit among youth. And this makes the ‘Reading in Public’ initiative all the more important, given its role in integrating books into social life, making them accessible to all lifestyles, spreading a culture of reading, and instilling it as a habit among all members of the community.”
“Our goal is to reach the younger generations in places that suit their lifestyles and their new social patterns. This is a great duty and responsibility, and with that in mind, we have relied on a set of specific selection criteria to identify dozens of modern cafés and branches across the Emirate of Abu Dhabi for the initiative. Moreover, targeted surveys have led to the conclusion that these coffee shops have become meeting places for young people, including university students and young professionals,” Al Tunaiji added.
The first stage of the ‘Reading in Public’ initiative targets eight locations, including hotels, hospitals, and cafés, among others. It aims to encourage the public to use their free time in waiting areas to read and to promote reading in Arabic, in line with the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre’s objectives to enhance the presence of Arabic as a language of culture, science, and creativity.