These Influential UAE Figures Just Curated Your New Reading List

A Twitter challenge asking people to share images of their favourite books over seven consecutive days has caught on in the UAE.

The books recommended by these influential UAE figures to add to your reading list. Credit: Instagram/cafebreriaelpendulo

While the Seven-Day Book Challenge isn’t a new concept, it’s once again gaining momentum on social media. The idea is to share an image of one book every day for a week, explaining why it’s had an influence your life.

And recently, the challenge has caught the eyes of some inspiring figures within the region. If you’re keen to know which books Noura Al Kaabi, the Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, and novelist Dubai Abulhoul love, just take a look below.

After the Prophet by Lesley Hazleton

Noura Al Kaabi, the Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, recommended After the Prophet by Lesley Hazleton

Noura Al Kaabi, the Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, shared a picture of After the Prophet by Lesley Hazleton. The narrative history book tells the tale of the rivalry between Sunni and Shia branches of Islam. It was first published in 2010.

Living To Tell The Tale by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Saudi native Saeed Al-Wahabi is known for his own writings, working with both local and international publications. But what’s on his reading list? He recommended the autobiography of Gabriel García Márquez’s, a Colombian novelist, screenwriter and journalist. Well, at least the first volume of it which was originally published in 2002.

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari

Admit it, this 2011 book has been on your reading list for ages, hasn’t it? But now it has come highly recommended by Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, maybe it’s time to bump it up the list. The book looks into the the history of humankind.

David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants by Malcolm Gladwell

Shamma Suhail Al Mazrui, the Minister of State for Youth Affairs, offered up this non-fiction book during the Seven-Day Challenge. This 2013 book spring-boards from the tale of David and Goliath to delve into the probability of improbable events occurring, and underdog that rise above and beat the odds.

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

After finding success with his 2003 novel The Kite Runner, Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini followed up with this number in 2007. The story details the lives of two characters from different generations living polar opposite lives until an incident forces their worlds to intersect. And this comes under the recommendation of local talent Dubai Abulhoul. The author penned Galagolia: The Hidden Divination, the first fantasy novel penned by an Emirati author in English.