UAEBBY

What UAEBBY does

UAEBBY (The UAE Board on Books for Young People) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization founded on January 1, 2010, and headquartered in Sharjah, UAE. It functions as the official UAE national section of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), a Switzerland-based federation connecting children's literature organizations in 81+ countries. The organization was initiated by Bodour Al Qasimi, who serves as Founder and Honorary President; Marwa Al Aqroubi serves as President. UAEBBY's core purpose is to promote children's literature and reading culture in the UAE and broader Arab world, serving four primary segments: children and young adults (ages 6-18), authors/illustrators/publishers, educators (teachers, librarians, learning specialists), and children in underserved or conflict-affected areas.

The organization's product portfolio centers on the International Award for Arabic Children's Literature (IAACL, formerly the Etisalat Award), a AED 1.2M annual prize distributed across five age-based categories, supported by a Warsha training program (AED 300K allocation) for new creators. Surrounding programs include the Read. Dream. Create campaign (with the Creative Writing Competition and Book Club), Kan Yama Kan (book distribution to crisis-area children), Bibliotherapy, Silent Book promotion, Guest of Honour (international talent exchange), and Books Made in UAE (local creator pipeline). The technology stack consists of a bibliotherapy database and an online IAACL award registration platform at iaacl.uaebby.org.ae, with no disclosed AI/ML, API, or mobile app capabilities.

UAEBBY operates as a non-revenue-generating entity funded primarily by Etisalat (e&) sponsorship, corporate donations, and community contributions; it runs with 5 employees and a volunteer-supported service delivery model. Its go-to-market is event-driven: participation in London, Bologna, Sharjah, Cairo, and Muscat book fairs; direct school and library outreach across the UAE; and structured workshops, storytelling sessions, and training programs. There are no funding rounds, parent company, subsidiaries, or disclosed financials.

Name

UAEBBY

Legal name

The UAE Board on Books for Young People

Website

https://uaebby.org.ae

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

UAEBBY is a Sharjah-based non-profit founded in 2010, serving as the UAE national section of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY). It runs the AED 1.2M International Award for Arabic Children's Literature plus training, reading, and outreach programs for UAE children, authors, illustrators, and publishers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Literature Advocacy & Literacy Non-Profit Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Literacy & ELA Instruction (School-Delivered) (EDAJAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Reading & Literacy Intervention Materials for Learning Disabilities (Dyslexia, Decoding, Comprehension) (EDAGAMAH), Early Literacy & Pre-Reading (Phonics, Letter Knowledge) (EDAGACAA), Structured Literacy / Orton-Gillingham Intervention Services (EDAKAJAC)

Keywords

• Children's literature promotion
• Literacy nonprofit services
• Arabic reading culture
• Publishing industry awards
• Bibliotherapy programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Sharjah

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Sponsorships and Donations: UAEBBY operates as a non-profit organization primarily funded through sponsorships from Etisalat (e&), corporate sponsors, and donations from the community. The organization accepts book donations and volunteer support.
2. Award Organization Services: UAEBBY organizes and manages the International Award for Arabic Children's Literature (IAACL), previously known as the Etisalat Award, which distributes AED 1.2 million in prize money across five categories, funded primarily by Etisalat sponsorship.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

UAEBBY is a non-profit organization that promotes Arabic children's literature and reading culture in the UAE and the wider Arab world. It runs the International Award for Arabic Children's Literature (IAACL) worth AED 1.2 million, the Warsha training programme for authors and illustrators, the Read. Dream. Create. campaign with its Creative Writing Competition and Book Club, and multiple literacy initiatives including Kan Yama Kan, Bibliotherapy, Silent Book, Guest of Honour, and Books Made in UAE. It serves as the UAE national section of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY).

Product overview

UAEBBY operates as a non-profit organization (established January 1, 2010) functioning as the UAE national section of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY). The organization offers a portfolio of interconnected programs centered on promoting children's literature and reading culture in the UAE and Arab world. The flagship offering is the International Award for Arabic Children's Literature (IAACL), a prestigious prize totaling AED 1.2 million across five categories. Supporting this are educational and engagement programs including the Read. Dream. Create. campaign (launched 2013) with its Creative Writing Competition and Book Club, the Warsha training program for aspiring creators, and various initiatives like Kan Yama Kan (books for children in crisis areas), Bibliotherapy (therapeutic reading), Silent Book promotion, and Guest of Honour (international exchange). The organization also facilitates the Books Made in UAE project to develop local talent.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• International Award for Arabic Children's Literature (IAACL): The premier international award for Arabic children's literature, previously known as the Etisalat Award for Arabic Children's Literature. Worth AED 1.2 million across five categories.
• Read. Dream. Create
• Warsha Programme
• Kan Yama Kan
• Books Made in UAE

Products and services

• International Award for Arabic Children's Literature (IAACL) A prestigious literary prize for Arabic children's literature, distributing AED 1.2 million across five categories (Early Reader, Picture Book, Chapter Book, Young Adult, and Non-Fiction). Open to publishers, authors, and illustrators.
• Read. Dream. Create. Campaign A nationwide campaign fostering stronger connections between children and books through reading sessions, workshops, storytelling, and creative engagement, targeting children across the UAE.
• Kan Yama Kan An initiative providing high-quality books to children in underserved areas, crisis zones, and conflict-affected regions who face challenges accessing books.
• Bibliotherapy Program A program using books as therapeutic tools to address personal issues and challenges, with an online database of bibliotherapy resources for educators and specialists.
• Silent Book Initiative An initiative promoting silent books (wordless picture books) in the UAE and the wider region, developing the silent book industry and fostering appreciation for visual storytelling.
• Guest of Honour An initiative fostering connections with various IBBY sections, providing opportunities for local UAE talent to gain insights from international children's literature experts.
• Creative Writing Competition A competition for children and young adults aged 6 to 18 across the UAE, offering AED 3,000 prize money per age category (6-9, 10-13, 14-18) to inspire young authors and storytellers.
• Warsha Program A training initiative to discover and nurture new Arab talent in children's books among authors, illustrators, and publishers, with AED 300,000 allocated for the programme.
• Book Club A monthly book discussion program offering young readers the opportunity to read, explore, and discuss new books with authors under the Read. Dream. Create campaign.
• Books Made in UAE A project fostering the creation of children's and young adult books by Emirati writers and illustrators, with content that authentically reflects UAE cultural values.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3 books selected for IBBY Honour List 2024
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Room to Read: Room to Read is a global non-profit focused on children's literacy and gender equality in education, operating literacy programs, publishing local-language children's books, and running school libraries across Asia and Africa. It is a broad peer in mission and program structure (literacy instruction, local-language book publishing, school engagement) but operates at significantly greater scale and geographic breadth than UAEBBY.
• British Council (Arts & Culture programs): The British Council runs international cultural and educational programs including reading-promotion, school library initiatives, and translation/children's literature programs across the Middle East and globally. It is a broad peer in operating model (international cultural/educational NGO with regional programming) and partially overlapping program areas (reading promotion, school engagement).
• Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI): SCBWI is the largest international organization for children's book creators, offering professional development, networking, and awards. UAEBBY's Warsha training program and IAACL serve the same author/illustrator community that SCBWI serves, but SCBWI operates at much larger global scale.
• Anna Lindh Foundation: The Anna Lindh Foundation is a Euro-Mediterranean intergovernmental organization promoting intercultural dialogue through literature, reading, and education programs, with a network of national chapters across the Mediterranean. It is a broad peer in mission (promoting reading and cultural exchange) and network-based operating model, with overlapping children/youth program portfolios.

Emerging players

• Book Aid International: Book Aid International provides books and supports libraries in sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, with a focus on children and reading promotion. It is comparable in mission around getting books to children (similar to UAEBBY's Kan Yama Kan initiative) and operates programs in the same Arab-world regions UAEBBY serves.

Others

• Kalimat Group (Kalimat Publishing): Kalimat is the UAE's leading Arabic children's book publisher, founded by UAEBBY's founder Bodour Al Qasimi. It is an adjacent, enabling peer — a major content producer whose books and authors feed into UAEBBY's award, training, and reading-promotion ecosystem, rather than a direct competitor.

Regional players

• National Library Board of Singapore (NLB): The National Library Board runs national reading-promotion programs, children's literary awards (e.g., the Hedwig Anuar Children's Book Award), and school outreach. Comparable to UAEBBY in its role as a national institution promoting reading culture and recognizing excellence in children's literature, though it operates at a national-government scale in Singapore.
• King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra): Ithra is Saudi Arabia's flagship cultural and educational complex, hosting libraries, exhibitions, children's programming, and the Ithra Award for children's literature. It is a regional peer with comparable mission (children's literature promotion, reading culture, training) but operates with substantially larger institutional backing and physical infrastructure in a different GCC market.

Direct peers

• International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY): IBBY is the global umbrella organization for national sections promoting children's literature and reading culture. UAEBBY is the UAE national section of IBBY, making IBBY the closest structural peer — same mission (connecting children with books, supporting authors/illustrators, maintaining the IBBY Honour List) and shared operating model across 81+ national sections.
• Emirates Literature Foundation: The Emirates Literature Foundation runs the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, the largest literary festival in the Middle East, and operates school-based and community reading programs in the UAE. It is a direct peer in mission (UAE-based promotion of literature and reading), target audiences (children, schools, authors), and program types (festivals, awards, school outreach).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/EtisalatAward/feed
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uaebby

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about UAEBBY