The Forum was held in conjunction with the National Month of Reading, and in collaboration with the National Geographic Al Arabiya Magazine, with its Editor-in-Chief AlSaad Omar Al Menhali as keynote speaker.

The speaker discussed the difference between reading and viewing, how to enjoy reading and reviewed examples of reading benefits and pleasures through displaying excerpts of topics featured in National Geographic Al Arabiya Magazine

Dr. Abdulrahman Al Awar: "UAE is witnessing a strong cultural movement in terms of reading and knowledge transfer”

In his speech during the Forum, HE Dr. Abdulrahman Al Awar, Director General of the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources lauded the ongoing efforts and initiatives across the country to disseminate knowledge and instil a culture of reading at local, regional and global levels, thanks to the keenness and follow up by the wise leadership of the United Arab Emirates, led by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who declared 2016 as Year of Reading, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, who directed that March every year be celebrated as National Reading Month.

HE said: “These innovative initiatives reflect the interest of the UAE’s wise leadership in reading as an essential element in shaping the future of nations and the cornerstone of advancement. We would like to thank the editors of National Geographic Magazine on their outstanding efforts to disseminate knowledge and information in an attractive and interesting manner.”

AlSaad Omar Al Menhali: “Reading is the secret behind the survival of civilizations”.

AlSaad Omar Al Menhali, Editor-In-Chief of National Geographic Al Arabiya Magazine gave a presentation about the essential role of reading in the changing the life of nations and peoples to the better and maintaining their gains and achievements, stressing the need to take advantage of modern technology to develop learning and reading skills to enrich knowledge as well as enjoy reading.

She explained that acquiring knowledge is not enough by itself to build a knowledge-based society; the community members must share that knowledge with others, and cooperate to develop a common cultural ground conducive to reading and learning. She emphasized the importance of reading in creating civilizations as the progress of nations is measured by the ability to generate creative ideas and knowledge that benefit mankind and future generations.

AlSaad added: “The launch of National Geographic Al Arabiya Magazine in 2010 came under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, in a move that reflects his keenness to ensure the UAE’s participation along with other countries around the world in spreading knowledge through the Arabic version of the Magazine sold at a much lower price than the English version.

“The vision of the magazine is based on developing a passion for exploring and spreading geographical, scientific and cultural knowledge to preserve our planet. It aims to contribute to efforts made to promote a society based on knowledge, science and innovation.”

She highlighted the important role that parents and various educational institutions should be playing to instil the concept and culture of reading in the hearts of children and make it a daily practice in their life.  She presented some photos published in National Geographic magazine about the world and the human stories associated with them.

Memorandum of Understanding between FAHR and National Geographic under "Imtyazat" initiative

On the side-lines of the Forum, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Federal Authority for Government Human Resources represented by the General Director, HE Dr. Abdulrahman Abdul Mannan Al Awar, and the National Geographic Magazine Al Arabiya Magazine represented by its Editor-in-Chief, AlSaad Omar Al Menhali, with the aim of disseminating knowledge, and promoting reading as a culture and practice at the Federal Government level.

Under the MoU, National Geographic Magazine will offer exclusive discounts up to 50% on the Magazine subscription fees to all Federal Government employees, and will periodically provide FAHR with a variety of topics and materials published in the magazine for use in FAHR publications such as the semi-annual HR Echo Magazine, and monthly HR Magazine.

The MoU comes under “Imtyazat” initiative launched by FAHR in 2011, to grant the Federal Government employees and their families special discounts on prices of goods and services provided by the private sector, through memoranda of understanding and partnership agreements signed with FAHR.

HR Club

The Human Resources Club, is one of these major initiatives, launched in 2010, with the objective of developing and empowering human capital, and to provide a platform that brings together human resource professionals and practitioners in the public and private sectors under one umbrella, to exchange knowledge, ideas, experiences and solutions that would enhance the employee competencies and promote the role of human resource departments to bring about the desired change.

The HR Club offers its membership, which has grown to over 12 thousand, an ideal opportunity to learn about the best practices, experiences and success stories of many individuals and institutions, as well as meeting with specialists and practitioners in the field of institutional work.