Bodour Al Qasimi: fuelling children’s love of reading builds a more enlightened and empathetic world

Kalimat Group, Majid Al Futtaim, and National Paints Group collaborate to make reading more fun and accessible to children and youth this summer 

• Series of literary activations to promote reading in children and youth across popular family destinations in Sharjah and Dubai.

• Includes workshops, storytelling sessions, competitions, book sales, and more. 

• Will be held in City Centre Al Zahia throughout July, and City Centre Mirdif in August. 

Sharjah, June 4, 2024

Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, the Founder and CEO of Kalimat Group, has stressed the UAE’s commitment to nurturing and investing in children’s love of reading, because youth who are well-read are empowered to shape a brighter future. 

Sheikha Bodour was speaking at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Kalimat Group, Majid Al Futtaim, represented by its UAE Shopping Malls Managing Director Fuad Mansoor Sharaf, and National Paints Group, represented by its Managing Director & Partner, Samer Salim Al Sayegh.

Together, they will launch a series of literary activations to promote reading in children and youth across popular family destinations in Sharjah and Dubai. The summer initiative designed to foster a love for reading and expand knowledge across age groups will be held in City Centre Al Zahia throughout July and City Centre Mirdif throughout August.

It will feature an array of inspiring, book-themed activities with a bookselling kiosk, reading sessions, book signings, educational workshops, and competitions. 

Commenting on the new partnership, Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi said: ‘Kalimat Group champions immersive reading experiences that excite children and youth, celebrate diversity and empathy, and lead to a deeper understanding of the world. Sustained investment in children’s knowledge is vital for fostering creativity and empathy, and we’re committed to investing in book culture, collaborating with likeminded partners, and building a vibrant, knowledge-based society.’

Fuad Mansoor Sharaf commented: “At Majid Al Futtaim, we are committed to supporting our community by providing a nurturing environment that fosters growth and innovation. We are proud to leverage our vibrant spaces and communities within City Centre Mirdif and City Centre Al Zahia to invest in children’s culture and knowledge by tapping into their passion for reading and help build creative generations. We believe that a deep love for and a consistent reading habit is critical for shaping future innovators and leaders and lays the foundation for well-rounded persons. This summer, our malls will actively support the initiative by offering dedicated spaces for kids’ workshops and selling children’s books, ensuring that the joy of reading is accessible to all.”

Samer Salim Al Sayegh said: “We are deeply honoured to collaborate with Kalimat Group and Majid Al Futtaim to make reading more fun and accessible to children and youth this summer. We believe this initiative not only aims to enrich young minds during the summer but also to cultivate lifelong readers and learners. Through the magic of books, we can open new worlds of imagination, countless adventure and wonder. This summer, let’s enrich the minds of the children and youth with the power of books, for within their pages lies knowledge, culture and intellectual values.”

Through its summer initiatives, Kalimat Group aims to enrich children’s vacation time and position books as essential tools for the development of youth and children. This initiative is grounded in the belief that reading supports academic achievement and fosters intellectual, social, and cognitive growth. By leveraging its initiatives and partnerships, the group strives to cultivate a love for reading and promote a culture of knowledge across generations, contributing to the creation of a more informed society capable of meeting future challenges and advancing development.

-ENDS-

About Kalimat Group

Kalimat was founded in 2007 as a children’s book publishing house. Since then, it has evolved into Kalimat Group, serving as a parent company for four imprints. The first imprint, Horouf, was launched to promote early education in Arabic and enhance children’s literacy. Rewayat followed, focusing on translated and original Arabic literary works for adults. Through a strategic partnership with the international Quarto Group, Kalimat Quatro was established to translate and distribute Quarto’s publications in Arabic. In 2017, Comics was introduced to offer captivating illustrated storytelling in the Arabic language. 

About Majid Al Futaim

Founded in 1992, Majid Al Futtaim is an Emirati-owned, diversified lifestyle conglomerate operating across the Middle East, Africa and Asia. The Group started from one man’s vision to transform the face of shopping, entertainment, and leisure to ‘create great moments for everyone, every day’. It has since grown into one of the region’s most respected businesses, employing 43,000 people, with owned assets valued at US$18 billion and has the highest credit rating (BBB) among privately held corporations in the region. Majid Al Futtaim owns and operates 29 shopping malls, 7 hotels and four mixed-use communities, welcoming more than 600 million customers through its doors every year. 

Majid Al Futtaim operates more than 600 VOX Cinemas screens as well as a portfolio of world-class leisure and entertainment experiences across the region including four indoor ski locations in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Cairo and Oman as well as family entertainment centers Magic Planet and Little Explorers. It is the proud owner of the flagship Mall of the Emirates, Mall of Egypt, and Mall of Oman with the iconic City Centre shopping malls rounding out its portfolio across the region. The Group partners with world-class fashion, home, speciality retail and beauty brands, including lululemon, LEGO, Crate and Barrel, Shiseido, with over 70 stores and 20 digital platforms across the GCC. It also owns and operates THAT Concept Store, a multi-brand retail destination and app. Majid Al Futtaim is also the exclusive franchisee for Carrefour across markets in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, serving 770,000 customers daily. These offerings are powered by the UAE’s fastest growing loyalty programme SHARE, which offers customers a more personalised and data driven experience. The developer of choice for the region, Majid Al Futtaim is the creator of mixed-use communities including Tilal Al Ghaf in Dubai and Al Mouj in Muscat. 

 Majid Al Futtaim has continued to set the standard for sustainable growth through its Dare Today, Change Tomorrow sustainability strategy. The Group is committed to becoming Net Positive in water and carbon by 2040.

About National Paints

National Paints was founded by the Sayegh family in 1969 in Jordan and later expanded its operations to Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, then to Abu Dhabi, Egypt, Romania, Oman, India, and Saudi Arabia. National Paints exports its products to many countries across the globe. The factory in Sharjah, established in 1977, is the largest paint consortium in the region.

With a broad range of offerings, National Paints caters to diverse segments, including decorative interior and exterior coatings, wood coatings, general industrial and protective coatings, marine coatings, floor coatings, automotive refinishes, aerosol coatings, and powder coatings.

We always keep an eye on the latest trends and put our commitment to innovation and sustainability as a priority. This has led us to increase our investment in research and development, develop solutions to reduce health and environmental risks, and provide exceptional service to our customers.