Following the runaway success of its opening weekend, the first-ever Big Bad Wolf Book Sale Dubai is gearing up for a final week of non-stop book sale — and bookworms are loving it.

Open 24 hours a day until 11.59pm on Sunday 28 October, the sale, which features three million brand-new English-language books available at 50-80 per cent discounts, has proven a city-wide hit. Tens of thousands of eager bookworms have descended on the Sound Stages at Dubai Studio City to trawl through the children’s, fiction and non-fiction sections, each of which is filtered down into sub-sections, genres and specialist areas of interest.

“We came at midday on Friday and it was all happening, there was lots of stuff going on. We have a four-year-old, a three-year-old and a one-year-old, so it was all very exciting – the kids were throwing all sorts of books in the trolley. We’re back for our ourselves this time, but the trolleys are full of kids’ books again. I didn’t expect there to be quite so much choice – I wasn’t expecting the sheer volume of books,” said Chris Forrest, a British expat living in Dubai.

While the vast majority of the sale’s three million books are English-language, event partner Mohammed bin Rashid Knowledge Foundation (MBRF), has contributed a number of Arabic books and publications through its publishing arm, Qindeel Printing, Publishing and Distribution, as part of its commitment to promote the widespread use of the Arabic language. The Arabic books are also going down a storm with book buyers.

“It is an amazing experience, there are so many English and Arabic books in the same place. It’s a different experience for everyone in the family. I’m shopping for myself and my kids but mostly the kids. They love the educational and activity books,” said Jawahir Al Saidi, an Omani national visiting Dubai just for the event.

The vast number of books is proving so infectious that spoilt-for-choice visitors’ trolleys overflowing with books is a common sight. As the city gears up for the festive period, some forward-thinking Big Bad Wolf Book Sale shoppers already have one eye on advance gift buying.

“It’s been fantastic. I’ve brought the kids and there’s loads for them to look at and take home. We’ve stocked up for Christmas, parties and presents with a full trolley that’s pretty much just for the kids. I’m coming back without the kids to do my own shopping. I was expecting a lot of books, but not the variety. There’s a plethora of books, all sorts, everything for everyone,” said Helena Carless, British expat living in Dubai.

With Dubai embracing book fever, not everyone at the sale is experiencing something new: “I’m from Malaysia so I know all about the event. I’ve been twice before when I lived in Kuala Lumpur, so I was really excited when I saw the sale was coming to Dubai. I’ve brought the kids to buy story books because I know the prices are unbeatable – you just can’t beat the variety and the prices,” said Yien Tham, a Malaysian expat living in Dubai.

As many schools in the UAE prepare to shut their doors this week for half-term, Mohamed Al Aidaroos, Managing Partner, Ink Readable Books, the local organisers of Big Bad Wolf Book Sale Dubai, insisted the event is tailormade for teachers, librarians, parents and students.

“The sale is the perfect opportunity for families to search for books together and students to pick up books that further their learning. Big Bad Wolf Book Sale Dubai has already received great support from schools across the country which recognise how we can boost their libraries. Schools are taking advantage of our heavily discounted prices by bulk buying many interesting titles by hundreds of popular authors,” said Al Aidaroos.

Entrance to the Big Bad Wolf Books Sale Dubai is free and it is open 24 hours a day right up to 11.59pm on Sunday 28 October.

Social Platforms

Fans can stay up to date on the latest Big Bad Wolf Book Sale Dubai news, giveaways and more via dedicated social media pages:

• Facebook: BigBadWolfBooks – UAE
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