ABU DHABI: The Ministry of Culture has announced the results of the UAE National Reading Index 2023, a biennial survey that aims to assess the reading habits of Emirati society in line with the country’s commitment to make reading a way of life by 2026. The initiative also supports the strengthening of development policies and plans in the areas of reading and knowledge.
The Index’s target sample included 3,800 citizens and residents across the UAE, 150 writers, 1,700 students, and 3,900 teachers and parents, whose reading habits and preferences, ranging from traditional to innovative, were surveyed in collaboration with the Federal Competitiveness Statistics Centre.
According to the survey results, the average number of books read per person per year increased from six in 2021 to seven in 2023.
The percentage of readers using social media sites increased from 88.1% in 2021 to 90.4% in 2023. Sources of reading material acquisition were more diverse in 2023, with 53.4% coming from online purchases, 27.6% from book fairs, 28.3% from bookstores, 18.6% from borrowing books, and 7.7% from other sources. This compares with 2021 figures of 43.6% from electronic purchases, 37.6% from book fairs, 32.3% from dealerships, 18.4% from borrowing books, and 8% from other sources.
His Excellency Mubarak Al Naqi, Undersecretary for Culture, said: “The UAE National Reading Index reflects our leadership’s dedication to enrich culture and knowledge across all segments of Emirati society. It highlights that human intellectual development is key to achieving sustainable growth, and reinforces the UAE’s role as a centre of knowledge, intellectual diversity and cultural richness.”
Hanan Ahli, Executive Director of the Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Center (FCSC), praised the national efforts and effective partnerships that contribute to improving the knowledge of the population and support the country’s reading and knowledge development policies and plans. She added: “The UAE National Reading Index field survey was carried out based on accepted international standards and methodologies in statistical work, ensuring the provision of comprehensive, accurate and high-quality statistical results and data that serve as the basis for monitoring the level of cultural development, reflecting the reading realities and habits of community members, and enhancing the tool of cognitive capacity development in the UAE.”
Preferred Language
In terms of reading language preference, in 2023 it was English 51%, Arabic only 24.6%, Arabic and other languages 12.4%, French 1.1%, and other languages 6.4%. In 2021 it was English 47.7%, Arabic only 26.6%, Arabic and other languages 12.1%, French 1.2%, and other languages 5.8%.
According to the 2023 index results, motivations for reading include enjoyment, cited by 53.5% of participants, followed by information needs at 50.5%, professional motivation at 24.3% and the presence of a suitable environment at 31%. In contrast, the reasons that motivated individuals to read in 2021 were enjoyment at 55.1%, information needs at 47.6%, professional motivation at 21.8% and the presence of a suitable environment at 20.6%.
United Arab Emirates literature
Speaking of the position of literature in the UAE, the average number of books read by writers and authors per year increased from 10 in the 2021 indicator to 12 in 2023. Moreover, the percentage of literature lovers who prefer to read Emirati literature increased from 92.1% in 2021 to 93.3% in 2023.
The 2023 index revealed that only 60% of writers and authors perceive UAE literature to reflect its cultural and social background, down from 80.1% in 2021. However, the results show that 90% of writers and authors support the idea that translation and criticism of UAE literature inspires readers, maintaining roughly the same percentage as in the 2021 index.
The index also shows that 64.7% of writers and authors in 2023 believe that the UAE’s publishing industry is able to showcase creators’ literary works and promote the reading of their work, down from 72.8% reported in the 2021 index.
In terms of preferred literary genres, the 2023 results revealed that 60% of writers and authors prefer Emirati literature, 73.3% Arabic literature, 73.3% chose world literature, and 2% preferred other genres. This is in contrast to the 2021 indicators, where 42.4% preferred Emirati literature, 58.3% chose Arabic literature, 60.9% leaned towards world literature, and 11.9% preferred other genres.
When it comes to reasons for purchasing books in the UAE, the current index shows that the book’s concept remains the top motivator at 73.3%, followed by the book’s language at 49.3%, the author’s reputation at 21.3% and other reasons at 18.7%. This is in contrast to the 2021 index, where 53% of buyers cited the author’s language as their main reason, 18.5% cited the author’s reputation, 70.9% were motivated by the book’s concept and 15.9% cited other reasons.
According to the 2021 index results, novels and short stories were the UAE literary genre deemed most worthy of increased attention and prominence with 29.8%, followed by plays with 23.8%, poetry with 20.5% and literary essays with 10.6%. However, in the 2023 index, poetry came out on top with 50.7%, followed by novels and short stories with 34%, literary essays with 33.3% and plays with 25.3%.
According to the index, the reasons for encouraging the reading of Emirati literature in 2021 are literary translation at 23.8%, cultural media and criticism at 48.8%, promotion and marketing at 46.6% and inclusion in the educational curriculum at 21.9%. In 2023, literary translation drops to 16%, with cultural media and criticism at 38.7%, promotion and marketing at 39.3% and inclusion in the educational curriculum at 27.3%.