Dubai Culture establishes children's library at Family Village

Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, Dubai Culture, has established a library at the Family Village to benefit orphaned children, following directives from H.H. Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice Chairman of Dubai Culture, during her recent visit to the home. The new library aims to inspire the children and encourage them to read starting from a young age.

The initiative was developed under the guidance of the Public Libraries Department, which is managed by Dubai Culture. The library is designed to support the children’s education by providing them access to the best works in children's literature. It provides a wide selection of 350 Arabic-language books for over 30 children at the Family Village. The diverse books now on offer include fairy tales, books about religious and cultural traditions, and child-friendly education and science titles.

The initiative comes in line with the declaration of 2016 as the Year of Reading on the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Dubai Culture is committed to instilling social values, customs and heritage, and providing a better future for the local community and the youth of today. It is also committed to continuing to foster a strong literary culture in the city of Dubai. Other reading initiatives by Dubai Culture include the establishment of Al Jalila Children’s Specialty Hospital reading corners, the Reading Box activation at Dubai Mall, which took place in October 2016 and where children and adults participated in activities and workshops for reading, and the revamping of Dubai’s public libraries, which began with Al Safa Public Library in joint collaboration with Dubai Municipality. This pilot project is set to be completed by the first quarter of 2017 and will serve as a benchmark for the restructuring of Dubai’s other public libraries which will introduce new experiences for reading and literature across the city.

The Family Village home for orphaned children was launched by Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, under the Awqaf and Minors Affairs Foundation. The Family Village aims to create a loving family environment for its children, ensuring that they have a memorable childhood, with a team of staff dedicated to caring for them and helping to prepare them for positive lives as active members of their communities.