CITY WALK, THE BEACH and BOXPARK, three Dubai-based retail developments by Meraas, have jointly collected over 3,000 books as part of a unique ‘Book Donation’ initiative hosted at the retail establishments to mark the spirit of giving during the Holy Month of Ramadan.

A collaborative effort between the retail entities at the three destinations and the UAE Board on Books for Young People (UAEBBY), the initiative invited the community to donate their favourite books at designated collection boxes during Ramadan.

In addition to setting up collection boxes at the retail destinations, the outreach engaged the participation of popular authors as well as publishing and media houses in the region. The initiative was widely supported on social media platforms using a unique hashtag.

Marwa Al Aqroubi – President of UAEBBY, said: “The ‘Book Donation’ initiative contributes significantly across the various on-going campaigns of UAEBBY that hopes to foster a culture of reading in the region. We are elated to have received such a collection of books during this time. The support from the community for this cause is gratifying, despite the long hours of fasting and the rising temperatures.

“The success of the initiative combines factors like the outreach to the community through the social media platforms of CITY WALK, THE BEACH and BOXPARK, the involvement of popular authors in the region and the collections from various publishing and media houses. Our association with the three retail entities and the people involved has been very fruitful and we hope we can come together for more such collaborations in the future.”

The initiative concluded on the last day of Eid. The donated books will now be placed at public libraries across the UAE and used at reading sessions conducted by UAEBBY in the region.

The UAEBBY is affiliated to the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) and is a non-profit organization aiming to revitalize the art of reading among the UAE population, especially children.