The Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development was keen to deliver its events related to reading to all segments of the UAE society . The Ministry organized 9 different programs and events in its cultural centers across the UAE for children with special needs being an important category within the UAE society worthy of being part of the month of reading. The events include “I Can Read” , “Reading for Challenged People ” and the “Audio Book”. On his part, Yasser Al Gergawi, Director of Cultural Events and Cultural Centers at the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, assured that the Ministry focused on delivering the message of the month of reading to this important category of the UAE society. He further stressed that the Ministry organized more than 9 different events in the Ministry’s centers in Abu Dhabi, Masafi, Ras Al Khaimah, Al Fujairah and Ajman, with the participation of more than 290 students and their parents. Events included reading and listening to books, entertainment, competitions and gifts. The Cultural Center in Masafi organized a workshop entitled “I Can Read” under the motto “Color your life with reading”, in cooperation with the Fujairah Rehabilitation Center for People with Disabilities. In the workshop children were divided into 3 groups and were motivated to read simple words and letters with the help of coloured printed paper. The Ministry’s Cultural Center in the Western Region also organized the “Creative writing” workshop were participants were practically trained on the process of creative story writing. On a related note, the Dibba Fujairah Cultural Center organized the event “My Happiness in Reading” in the presence of more than 100 children who took part in various programs and competitions such as storytelling workshops, the little reader and read and play. On the other hand, Umm Al Quwain Cultural center organized a panel discussion entitled “Reading is a Nation’s Light, Present and Future” presented by the novelist Bassema Younis. It focused on the importance of reading, which is the gateway to various sciences and diverse knowledge. Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi Cultural Center organized a workshop about “E- Reading”. The workshop discussed the importance of reading and reviewed the techniques of E-reading and its advantages. The Abu Dhabi cultural center also organized the event “Read and Play” to develop interactive reading skills among children in the presence of more than 50 children at the Umm Al Emarat Park in Abu Dhabi. On the other hand the cultural center in Dibba Al Fujairah organized the workshop ”My Experience with Reading” by the writer Fatima Al Maamari who talked about her passion of reading which lead her to become a writer. On a related note, the Cultural Centre in Masafi organized a cultural competition under the title “A Story in a Picture” in cooperation with the Environment Agency in Abu Dhabi and the Ministry of Education. Masafi Cultural Centre also organized a story telling session for school students entitled “Trouble Makers” with the help of the cartoon characters Hamad and Mira. The story taught children lessons about time management including playing and reading, cleanliness and other useful things. Moreover, the Masafi Cultural Center also organized a lecture entitled “ My Language is My Identity” for school students by the Trainer Salma Al Hafeiti. She spoke about the importance of language in enriching the human civilization and cultural exchange. Ras Al Khaimah Cultural Centre organized the event “Reading is Life” in the presence of more than 80 students. The event focused on the development of the habit of reading among young children by reading children stories that develop imagination and carries multiple messages reinforcing children’s sense of belonging and pride in their identity. Ajman Cultural Centre in cooperation with Ajman Educational Zone organized “Knowledge on the Go” in the Flag Park in Ajman. Knowledge on the Go includes a variety of cultural programs including entertainment, games, storytelling, painting, competitions, prizes and the Bus studio. The event was attended by 120 school students from Ajman and aims to effectively spread cultural awareness, promote reading and support educational institutions by providing all necessary resources to spread the reading habit among students.