To support the Arab Reading Challenge, the largest Arab project to encourage reading among students in the Arab world, launched by Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, DEWA, has opened its private libraries to all students to encourage the young generation to cultivate the habit of reading.

Under the new initiative, more than one million students will commit to reading 5 million books between September 2015 and March 2016.

"To support the Arab Reading Challenge, and implement the objectives of the UAE National Agenda 2021 to develop a first-rate education system, DEWA has developed a strategy to become a sustainable learning organisation working to promote reading culture reading for all society," said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO, DEWA.

"We look forward to making UAE students among the best in the world, backing them with knowledge and reading skills, and we would like all our schools to groom leaders and teachers with highest international standards, as well as making the students’ Arabic reading skills excellent. To promote this trend, the Knowledge Management, KM, in DEWA, in cooperation with the concerned authorities, will provide all facilities to establish a cognitive environment that supports the government directives.

The KM libraries of DEWA, which include a significant number of digital and print publications, will receive students, organise courses dedicated to reading basics, provide knowledge resources for reading in various scientific research fields including renewable and clean energy, improve reading skills among students through series of different events and activities, and contribute to raising up a new generation that has a passion for reading and knowledge," added Al Tayer.

"KM operations have been in operation in DEWA since 2010. DEWA has developed an integrated policy for knowledge management to determine the investment priorities and encourage cognitive creative abilities for the intellectual assets to enhance knowledge sharing within the organisation, its sub-departments, and stakeholders, by building innovative libraries. KM will open the doors to volunteers and reading enthusiasts, and will launch a donation campaign for used or new books to be re-distributed to those who like to read or the communities in need," said Dr. Yousef Al Akraf, Executive Vice President of Business Support and Human Resources at DEWA.