A UAE newspaper has said that the country deserves a salute for not only recognising the power of reading, but also taking sincere and effective measures to promote the valuable habit among the entire society.

In an editorial on Thursday, The Gulf Today said, "The conclusion of the UAE’s Year of Reading 2016 this week marks the beginning of a new era for a nation that has empowered itself with enormous additional knowledge and wisdom."

The directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan for declaring 2016 as the Year of Reading have surely contributed to a momentous shift in the national personality and interests of the future generations, as Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and The Future, has pointed out.

The paper went on to say, "In a first Decree of its kind in the UAE and the wider region, Sheikh Khalifa issued the National Reading Law, positioning reading as a cultural value and setting it into a legislative context bound by implementation, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.

"Other countries can take a cue from this law that mandates the education sector to develop curriculums that reinforce students’ reading skills and instructs educational institutions to develop their libraries and encourage students to read through yearly plans and initiatives.

"Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, issued a Decree establishing an AED1 billion library in Dubai that will hold more than 4.5 million printed books, audio books and e-books, making it the largest of its kind in the Arab world.

"There has been a growing feeling that the current generation suffers from a reading crisis and there is a dire need to change this trend. The huge benefit of a reading society is that it embraces civilised values, is flexible and adaptable. Reading instils the values of openness and moderation. Reading and knowledge are undoubtedly the best path to excel and compete.

"As the year saw the unfolding of an amazing social movement, 1,500 reading initiatives in 2016 engaged various segments of society while as much as 3.5 million students read 150 million books as part of the Reading Challenge.

"The leadership clearly aimed at transforming the act of reading into a lifestyle in the UAE."