"Department of Culture" Launching a new initiative to transform Abu Dhabi into Reading City

2026/07/15 3:44:48 PM

1 minute read

ABU DHABI, 15 JULY / WAM / The Department of Culture and Tourism in Abu Dhabi launched the “Books in the City” initiative, which aims to integrate reading into daily life by transforming public spaces into interactive cultural environments, thus enhancing Abu Dhabi’s position as a center of knowledge and culture.

The initiative aims to activate about 45 reading sites in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain as part of a sustainable year-round program that provides reading experiences and activities for different age groups, by making books available in cafes, parks, heritage and cultural sites, shopping centers and other public facilities.

The initiative includes a number of programs, most notably “Meaad,” which provides a reading experience based on selecting wrapped books in cultural and heritage sites, and “Novel Pro,” which provides a café-based reading experience that integrates literature into daily social spaces through special coffee concepts, in addition to providing access to the digital library via a quick response code “QR,” in addition to the “Take a Book, Leave a Book” initiative to exchange books in a number of community sites, and the “Offline Reading Club,” which organizes weekly sessions that encourage reading away from devices. digital.

The Department of Culture and Tourism confirmed that the initiative comes as part of its efforts to establish a culture of reading as a part of daily life, expand access to knowledge, and enhance the emirate’s position as a leading destination for culture and learning, with the launch of more initiatives and programs during the year.