Kalimat receives Dhs1.5m sponsorship from Gulftainer

In a ceremony held on 17 January 2010 at Qanat Al Qasba, Gulftainer Group Director and General Manager Peter Richards handed over a cheque to Kalimat's Publisher Dareen Charafeddine, in the presence of Sheikha Bodour Bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Founder and CEO of Kalimat.

Said Sheikha Bodour, "We are delighted to receive this support from Gulftainer, and it will certainly go a long way towards helping us achieve the goals we have set for ourselves for 2010. Through our ongoing participation in international events, we aim to increase the exposure of both our Arabic titles and our aim of instilling a love of reading in the youth of today."

"This sponsorship has been earmarked to cover our participation in international exhibitions and book fairs, and we are looking forward to promoting Kalimat's goals and message globally throughout the coming year. The international events are an important part of our business strategy, as they present us with an excellent opportunity to network with key players and to exchange experience with renowned publishing and distribution experts in the Arab and global markets, which will enable us to improve our work and production in the field of Arabic children's literature," she continued.

Speaking of the reasons behind the donation, Gulftainer's Peter Richards said, "Gulftainer is committed to making a discernable difference within the communities in which we operate and with which we engage. This sponsorship is in line with our strategy to support and facilitate the members of the community, particularly in the area of education for the youth, as they are the world's most valuable asset."

"As a Sharjah-based company that has been operating in the region for over 30 years, we are committed to improving the quality of life of the people who live and work in the region, and we fully support Kalimat's aim of encouraging a love of reading and Arabic literature among children throughout the Arab world, which we believe will have a definite beneficial effect on future generations," he added.

Kalimat is the first publishing house in the UAE dedicated solely to publishing and distributing high-quality Arabic books for children aged 0 to 16 years. With a portfolio of internationally acclaimed authors and illustrators, Kalimat's extensive range of books highlights traditional Arabic culture alongside the modern challenges faced by today's children, with the aims of engendering a life-long love of reading and Arabic literature among Arab children.