Abu Dhabi Reading Club Sets Guinness World Record as 69 Nationalities Unite at Zayed National Museum

Readers representing 69 nationalities gathered at Zayed National Museum in Abu Dhabi for a book club session on Monday that successfully set a new Guinness World Record title. Organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre's Kalima Reading Club, the event brought participants together to discuss Bedouin and Abbasid Cultural Identities: The Arabic Majnun Layla Story by Ruqayya Yasmine Khan. This inaugural record-setting gathering is part of the club's broader outreach efforts with schools, universities, and communities across the UAE.

Saeed Al Tunaiji, executive director of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, explained that the initiative forms part of the organisation's wider mission to engage diverse sections of society with books and the Arabic language. “Encouraging and supporting reading is a fundamental objective,” he told The National. “How can Arabic spread and become stronger in society, in spoken language and in other areas? I think today one of the most important elements supporting this is to focus on reading sessions, on the reading club, and also to attract different age groups.”

The book selected for the Zayed National Museum session was Khan's scholarly work on Majnun-Layla, a classic love story rooted in seventh-century Arabia. Her publication examines how the narrative evolved and was interpreted throughout the Bedouin and Abbasid periods. Al Tunaiji noted that the long-standing history of the tale contributed significantly to its appeal, highlighting how imagination, reality, and regional cultural influences shaped the identity and culture of Arab society.

This session builds upon the ongoing work of the Kalima Reading Club, which was launched in 2018 as part of the Kalima translation project established in 2007. Regular reading sessions continue to be hosted at educational institutions and public events. Al Tunaiji added that weekly activities take place during the school term through the Kalima Reading Club for Schools, engaging various segments of the community.

The record-breaking event followed the conclusion of the 35th Abu Dhabi International Book Fair on Sunday, which was also organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre. Although final sales figures are still being evaluated, Al Tunaiji reported that attendance at cultural programmes and book-related sessions exceeded expectations, with visitor numbers doubling initial projections. Looking ahead, the centre plans to return to the Frankfurt Book Fair to showcase the first-year results of From Kalima to the World, an initiative launched to support the translation of Arabic books into other global languages.