The third edition of the Reading for Pleasure Caravan Conference has concluded following four days of keynote addresses, panel discussions, workshops and practical sessions across Dubai, Al Ain and Abu Dhabi, bringing together about 120 local and international speakers and more than 2,000 parents, teachers, librarians and educators.

Organised by the Emirates Literature Foundation, the conference took on a new mobile ‘caravan’ format this year, travelling between four venues and exploring the role of reading in developing children’s learning, wellbeing, imagination and lifelong engagement with books. Inspired by the historic caravans that carried commerce, culture and knowledge across the Arabian Peninsula, the conference travelled from the Museum of the Future and Zayed University in Dubai, to United Arab Emirates University in Al Ain and the Higher Colleges of Technology in Abu Dhabi.

Now in its third edition, the conference forms part of the Foundation’s wider Reading for Pleasure initiative, a five-year pilot programme launched in 2023 to encourage children to read regularly for enjoyment in both Arabic and English, outside the pressures of academic assessment. The programme currently works with six schools in Dubai and brings together students, parents and educators as the three points of the ‘education triangle’.

Isobel Abulhoul OBE, Founder, Advisor and Member of the Board of Trustees of the Emirates Literature Foundation, said: “My life’s mission, and the purpose behind creating the Emirates Literature Foundation, has always been to put a book into the hands of a child and give them the opportunity to discover the joy of reading. I truly believe that everyone is a reader; sometimes, we simply have not found the right book yet. Our mission to help create the readers of the next generation is bigger than any one of us, which is why the Reading for Pleasure team and the Emirates Literature Foundation have leaned so heavily on our partners. Together, we have been able to take this conversation beyond the classroom and into communities across the UAE, because creating a nation of readers requires all of us to play a part.”

The conference opened at the Museum of the Future, with an opening ceremony by Isobel Abulhoul OBE, followed by a keynote address from Her Excellency Aisha Miran, Director General of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority. The opening day, which was livestreamed with the generous support of the Arab Reading Challenge, focused on Reading for Pleasure and featured conversations on the importance of developing positive reading habits and creating environments where children can discover books for themselves. As part of the programme, the winning children of the Arab Reading Challenge also took centre stage, bringing their own experiences and passion for reading to the conversation.

The opening day also recognised the six schools participating in the Reading for Pleasure pilot programme through the Reading for Pleasure Awards, celebrating the work being undertaken by schools to create stronger reading cultures for their students.

His Excellency Zaki Nusseibeh, Chancellor of United Arab Emirates University, said:

“His Excellency Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh, Cultural Advisor to His Highness the President of the UAE and Chancellor of the United Arab Emirates University, said:
“As UAEU marks fifty years since its establishment by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, we remain guided by his conviction that education is fundamental to national progress. Our contribution to this initiative is one small expression of our responsibility to place knowledge at the service of future generations.UAEU is pleased to contribute to this endeavour as a research partner. Our researchers are exploring how readers engage with language, how reading habits develop, and how voluntary reading may influence learning and wellbeing.”
The conference then travelled to Zayed University for a day dedicated to Arabic Language and Bilingualism, followed by a day at United Arab Emirates University in Al Ain exploring Reading in Family and Community. The final day, hosted at Higher Colleges of Technology’s Baniyas Campus in Abu Dhabi, focused on Reading in Early Years.

Across the four days, speakers examined the latest research and practical approaches to reading, with sessions addressing topics including Reading on the Spectrum, An Overview of Policies on Reading in Arabic, How the Brain Reads, and Overstimulated and Under-Imaginative: What’s Happening to Our Children’s Reading Brains?

His Excellency Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of Dubai Future Foundation, said:

“Preparing young people for the future means giving them more than the knowledge they need today. It means nurturing curiosity, creativity and the confidence to explore new ideas. Reading for pleasure gives children the freedom to imagine possibilities beyond what they already know, while developing the habits of learning that will serve them throughout their lives. Initiatives such as Reading for Pleasure play an important role in building a generation that is curious, adaptable and ready to shape the future.”

Dr Hanada Taha, Endowed Professor and Director of the Zai Research Center at Zayed University, said: “Children’s reading experiences are shaped by far more than what happens in a language lesson. The books they encounter, the languages they read in, the choices they are given and the attitudes towards reading at home and at school all influence whether reading becomes a lasting part of their lives. We need to understand these factors through both research and practice, particularly in multilingual communities such as the UAE. The Reading for Pleasure initiative provides an important opportunity to develop evidence that reflects the experiences of children here and can inform how we support readers in the UAE and beyond.”

A national and international exchange of expertise

The conference welcomed speakers from the UAE, the wider region and around the world, reflecting the growing body of research and practice focused on reading for pleasure and its role in children’s development.

Distinguished UAE speakers included His Excellency Dr Abdullah Majid Al Ali, Director General of the National Archives and Library of the UAE; His Excellency Dr Ali Bin Tamim, Chairman of the Arabic Language Centre; Dr Ahmed Al Kaabi, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs at United Arab Emirates University; Alan Williamson, CEO of Taaleem; Dr Amani Batakji Chazy, Education Policies Advisor, The Education, Human Development, and Community Development Council; Dr Bochra Kaddoura, Early Childhood Specialist at the Sharjah Private Education Authority; Deema Al-Alami, Co-Founder of Arab Child Summit; Dr Farah Sarraj, Chief Corporate Officer at Al-Futtaim School Management Company; Dr Fuzan Alkhalidi, Director of Programmes and Initiatives at Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives; Graham Paris, Director of Dubai Schools; Jessica Smith, Author and Former Paralympian; Dr Maddalena Campioni, Neuroscientist; Dr Maryam AlJassmi, Associate Professor, United Arab Emirates University; Dr Mona Aljanahi, Associate Professor, United Arab Emirates University; Nadine Bakhous, Author at Dar Al Bouma Publishing; Niamh Allen, Corporate Head of EAL at GEMS Education; Dr Reem Al Gurg, Director of Strategy and Institutional Excellence at Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences; Dr Saeed Kharbash, CEO of Policies, Research and Programmes at the Knowledge and Human Development Authority; Dr Saliha Afridi, Clinical Psychologist and Founder of The Lighthouse Arabia; Dr Sameera Alhosani, Director of Children’s Library at the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi; and Dr Tim Mackintosh-Smith, Arabist and Author.

International speakers included Dr Alaa Al Najim, Assistant Professor in Children’s Literature at King Faisal University, Saudi Arabia; Davinder Dosanjh, Researcher at the University of Birmingham, UK; Dr Fajer Bin Rashed, Assistant Professor at Australian University, Kuwait; Gavin McCormack, Founder of Upschool; Dr He Sun, Associate Professor at the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, and Dr Simon Liversedge, Professor at Northumbria University, UK.

The full conference programme is available at readingforpleasure.ae/events and the full list of speakers at readingforpleasure.ae/author.

Building a culture of reading for pleasure

Launched in 2023 through a memorandum of understanding between Emirates Literature Foundation and DP World, the five-year Reading for Pleasure pilot programme aims to create sustainable reading habits among children in both Arabic and English.

Working with six primary-level schools in Dubai, the programme provides children with greater access to books and dedicated time to read for enjoyment, while supporting parents and educators in creating environments that encourage reading beyond the classroom curriculum. Activities include enhancing school and classroom libraries, creating outdoor reading spaces, developing age- and culturally appropriate reading lists, hosting author visits and providing professional development opportunities for teachers.

The programme is designed to establish centres of excellence that can provide a model for wider adoption across the UAE and the region. Alongside this practical work, a key component of the initiative is its commitment to rigorous academic research. Research partners from Zayed University, United Arab Emirates University, Higher Colleges of Technology, the University of Birmingham and the University of Cambridge are collecting baseline and ongoing data to build a body of local research around the impact of the initiative.

The research will contribute to the growing global body of evidence on reading for pleasure, while generating locally relevant insights into what helps children develop lasting reading habits in bilingual and multicultural communities. Its findings will add to the international conversation around reading for pleasure and provide an evidence base for educators, policymakers and researchers in the UAE and beyond.

Since the inaugural Reading for Pleasure Conference in 2024, the initiative has continued to expand its network of partners. Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives and the Arab Reading Challenge have provided strategic support, while Emirates Airline became a travel partner.

This year’s conference was supported by its four venue partners: Museum of the Future, Zayed University, United Arab Emirates University and Higher Colleges of Technology, enabling the conference to reach educators and communities across three cities.

The Reading for Pleasure initiative reflects the Emirates Literature Foundation’s wider commitment to developing a culture of reading and storytelling in the UAE, with a focus on giving children the opportunity to discover books, develop their interests and become lifelong readers.