A recent nationwide survey revealed that UAE residents, including both citizens and expats, are reading more books, with an average adult completing seven books annually in 2023, up from six books in 2021. The Ministry of Culture announced the findings of the 2023 UAE National Reading Index, a biennial survey designed to evaluate reading habits across the country, as part of its goal to establish reading as a lifestyle by 2026.
In addition to reading more books, UAE readers are increasingly turning to online content, with 90.4% engaging with social media platforms for reading, a rise from 88.1% in 2021. Sources of reading materials have diversified, with 53.4% purchasing titles online, 27.6% attending book fairs, and 28.3% buying from bookstores. Other methods include borrowing books (18.6%) and alternative sources (7.7%).
The survey also explored motivations for reading, finding that 53.5% read for enjoyment, 50.5% for information, 24.3% for professional reasons, and 31% due to a conducive environment. This represents a shift from 2021, where enjoyment and information were the primary motivators.
Mubarak Al Nakhi, undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture, highlighted the UAE National Reading Index as a reflection of the leadership's commitment to enriching culture and knowledge. The survey, conducted in collaboration with the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Centre, included over 3,800 citizens and expats, 150 writers, over 1,700 students, and more than 3,900 teachers and parents.
Regarding language preferences, English remains the most popular at 51%, followed by Arabic exclusively at 24.6%, and a mix of Arabic and other languages at 12.4%. French and other languages accounted for 1.1% and 6.4% respectively, showing slight changes from 2021.
