Dubai Cares, part of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, participates for the first time in the Emirates Airline Literature Festival by hosting an activation that highlights the importance of learning through play in the early years of children. Dubai Cares’ participation in the Festival, which run from March 1 to 9 aims to show that playing is an important part of children’s early development, allowing them to develop many skills such as language skills, emotions, creativity and social skills. It also helps to nurture imagination and gives children a sense of adventure. The early childhood games are therefore vital to setting the foundations for formal education.

Commenting on the activation, Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Communications Manager at Dubai Cares, said: “We are delighted to participate at the Emirates Airline Literature Festival for the very first time, and we hope this participation will be the first of many more to come. The festival is the perfect place that brings people of all ages and backgrounds together from different parts of the world to promote education, reading and writing. Just like good nutrition, playing not only stimulates children’s minds but it also gives them a sense of adventure, makes them more resilient, bigger risk-takers and allows them to explore the world. By having our stand at the Emirates Airline Literature Festival, our objective is to raise awareness among members of the UAE community about the positive impact of learning through play on children’s development as it empowers them to become creative and engaged lifelong learners.”

The Emirates Airline Literature Festival is the largest celebration of written and spoken word in the Arab World and is a touchstone for readers of all ages. Held in Dubai Festival City from 1-9 March 2019, the festival drew thousands of visitors seeking to connect with their literary heroes and learn through literary debates, workshops and activations.