Reading Nation Auction Succeeds in Providing 4 Million Books to Refugees and Needy Students Worldwide

The "Reading Nation Auction" succeeded in providing 4 million books to refugee and needy students around the world, contributing to supplying over 2,000 schools globally with books for reading and knowledge.

His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, along with several prominent figures, witnessed the humanitarian charity auction dedicated to supporting the "Reading Nation" campaign. Organized by Emirates Auction, the auction took place in Jumeirah City on Tuesday, June 21, raising a total of AED 41 million, equivalent to the value of 4 million books. Consequently, the "Reading Nation" campaign exceeded its announced target of providing 5 million books, reaching over 7.3 million books for students and refugees worldwide.

This unique charity auction succeeded in selling all offered items, with one of the highlights being a 106-year-old artifact from the Kaaba’s covering, donated by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. This piece fetched AED 2.1 million. The artifact, green in color and made of gold and silver threads, was gifted by Egypt’s Khedive Abbas Hilmi Pasha in 1331 AH to the Holy Kaaba and is part of the private artistic collection of His Highness’s office.

The charity auction also saw the sale of other valuable items donated by His Highness, including a poetry panel from his book Flashes of Poetry with his personal signature, sold for AED 1.1 million, and two paintings by artist Abdul Qader Al Rais, which fetched AED 970,000. Abdul Qader Al Rais is one of the UAE’s most prominent artists, known for representing his country with distinguished creative works. Additionally, a painting by Dr. Najat Makki, recipient of the 2007 State Appreciation Award in Arts, was sold for AED 150,000.

In this context, Mohammed Abdullah Al Gergawi, Secretary-General of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, stated: "The support of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum for this humanitarian auction was a clear message of his personal interest and diligent follow-up on everything related to advancing the reading movement in our Arab and Islamic world, establishing knowledge and education as the shortest and best path to eradicate ignorance and promote tolerance and civilization."

Al Gergawi added, "Five million books from the UAE to the Arab and Islamic world will undoubtedly mark a milestone in its scientific, cultural, and intellectual journey. This is the UAE’s message to the world, sent daily by the leaders of this generous nation—a message of love, giving, knowledge, and education."

He further noted, "The Year of Reading in the UAE will become a year of reading for the entire Arab world, thanks to the wise leadership’s support, the generosity of philanthropists, and the awareness of the UAE’s people and residents in fulfilling their humanitarian mission toward millions of children deprived of reading and books."

Al Gergawi said, "Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, through its affiliated institutions, will begin in the coming period, in collaboration with the Emirates Red Crescent, to study book needs across Arab countries and refugee camps, working with relevant international organizations to distribute 7 million books. This will ensure the greatest humanitarian impact, particularly by focusing on educational and scientific books that will improve children’s lives and provide abundant learning resources."

He added, "Today, through this auction, we succeeded in surpassing the intended target of 5 million books four days before the campaign’s scheduled end. The 'Reading Nation Auction' exceeded all expectations, not only in terms of donations collected from the bidding on the items but also in the remarkable engagement that always characterizes the UAE scene, especially when it involves contributing to the public good of people without exception, regardless of geographical or cultural boundaries."

The auction also featured the sale of a distinguished calligraphic panel and a manuscript of the Holy Quran from the 19th century, part of the private artistic collection of Mohammed Al Mur, former Speaker of the Federal National Council.

The calligraphic panel, which included Surah Al-Qadr and was adorned with ornate and gilded calligraphy in the bold Muhakkak script by calligrapher Osama Al Hamzawi, sold for AED 110,000. The Quran manuscript, a gilded and decorated Mughal Indian copy with 520 pages dating before 1227 AH, fetched AED 250,000.

The Holy Quran donated by Abdul Rahman Al Owais, Minister of Health and Community Protection, from his private collection, garnered significant attention from attendees and was sold for AED 250,000. This Quran is a distinguished artistic masterpiece, written in the refined Naskh script with black ink, using red for tajweed markers. Its first two pages are decorated with lapis lazuli and gold, with verses ending in small golden separators. Surah titles are written in gold, framed by inner and outer borders on each page, with sections and divisions noted in gold on the margins. The Quran’s pages are made of silk and linen, with a gold-sprinkled background—a rare feature typically indicating it was crafted for an important figure. Its leather cover is adorned with floral designs inside and out and is also gilded. This Quran was written by Ibn Bir Mohammed, a resident of Bir, in Jumada al-Ula 1093 AH, corresponding to May 1682 CE.

The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority contributed five two-digit numbers to support the auction, with the number R10 achieving the highest bid at AED 9.7 million. Number T13 fetched AED 5 million, Q15 sold for AED 4 million, L22 for AED 4.05 million, and O70 for AED 2.8 million, totaling AED 25.55 million from the vehicle plates combined.

The auction stood out with the sale of the Arabian horse "De Lamar" for AED 260,000, donated by the Dubai Arabian Horse Stud to support the "Reading Nation Auction." This purebred mare is among the finest Arabian breeds, descending from the legendary "Waho" lineage through her sire "AF Al Rasheem," a world-renowned champion known for producing some of the most beautiful Arabian horses and winning multiple local and international titles in 2014.

Among the auction items were 10 highly distinctive mobile phone numbers donated equally by Emirates Telecommunications Group ("Etisalat") and Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company ("du"). One number from Etisalat (056 5555555) sold individually for AED 2.05 million, with Etisalat’s numbers collectively fetching AED 4.16 million. A single number from du (052 3333333) achieved AED 1.6 million, with du’s numbers totaling AED 2.5 million.

The "Reading Nation Auction" complements the efforts supporting the Ramadan campaign, which aimed to provide 5 million books to schools and needy students in refugee camps and the Islamic world. This includes supplying 2 million books for children and students in refugee camps, equipping 2,000 libraries worldwide with 2 million books, and supporting educational programs run by Emirati humanitarian institutions in the Arab and Islamic world with 1 million books.

This article is translated and not the original content.