In 2016 FANR launched the first ever Federal Reading Club exclusively for federal government employees to foster a culture of reading within the government sector.
The Federal Reading Club offers federal government employees the opportunity to become members so that they can enjoy an array of activities that promote reading and the exchange of ideas. The exclusive club allows the employees to meet their favourite authors, and discuss the latest books and trends in a comfortable setting.
The launch of the Federal Reading Club was hosted by the award-winning Kuwaiti novelist, Saud Al Sanousi, known for his book ‘The Bamboo Stalk’, and Emirati writer and Director of the Poetry Academy, Sultan Al Ameemi. More than 40 representatives of different government entities attended the launch and engaged in a discussion with the authors, which was moderated by the TV presenter, Rafid Al Harthi.
After the launch there was a book-signing event by the authors where FANR offered free copies of the books written by the guest authors to all those who attended. This FANR initiative supported the UAE government’s declaration of 2016 as the Year of Reading, which aimed to establish an integrated national literacy strategy and a framework to produce a reading generation. It also aimed to establish the UAE as the capital of cultural and knowledge content.