In 2023, I spoke to a disinterested teenager who opened my eyes to the work we still have to do in encouraging reading across the GCC.

“Books?” he asked me, scoffing. “But that’s not what I’m about at all!” It was hard to hear him over the bustle of the 27th Muscat International Book Fair, where 385,000 people browsed over 500,000 titles. Being a bookseller, I felt unease at his response. However, I asked him what he WAS interested in.

“Hiking and football,” he said.

Well, that’s easy enough. Did he know there are books about the most beautiful hiking trails in the world? And, obviously, he could find the biographies of many a famous footballer. Why, I said, maybe by reading their biographies, he could underatand them better. Maybe he could even be like then.

That got his attention. After chatting for a bit, I sent the teenager on his way, looking for books that might suit his needs. But it ocurred to me, as I waved him goodbye, that reading still had a long way to go.

Oman has made remarkable progress in combating illiteracy, with the rate dropping to 2.5% of the total population amidst peograms like the Ministry of Education’s Educated Village Program. It’s even lower among younger age groups, thanks to our robust teaching curriculum. However,  as illeteracy percentages shrink until they become practically invisible, it is time for us to think about the next level of literacy- promoting  reading as a hobby.

For a time, I had been quite certain that social media would come to the rescue of reading. After all, platform like Instagram, Whatsapp, and Twitter, which are used by over 85% of Oman’s population, involve a lot of reading. However, the quality of this reading is often questionable, so as it turns out, social media wasn’t the magical pill I’d hoped for. And as you might know, the use of social media tends to build stress, break down social competence, and slash the user’s attention span.

No. Now, more than ever, we need to turn to recreational reading.

Events like the Muscat International Book Fair, which attracted 394,172 visitors in 2024, highlight the growing interest in books. This trend is encouraging, especially considering the appearance of over 624,000 titles.

You might ask me why I think reading is so important to us as a society.

The thing is, literacy is more than just the ability to read and write; it is the foundation of critical thinking and informed decision-making. Reading novels enhances empathy and transforms our problem-solving capacities. Non-fiction places entire spheres of technical knowledge under our command. And while social media can complement literacy efforts and impart valuable knowledge, it cannot replace the depth of understanding that comes from reading a book.

So how do we do it? I think the answer is quite simply to give people the books they want.

Reading has a PR problem, which stems from the view that it is boring. However, if we keep in mind that genre is unlimited, we realize this is simply not true. Tell me your interest, no matter how niche, and I will tell you that there is a book for you. Reading can supplement any hobby you can think of. All we need is to provide people with the opportunity to find the right book for them.


The fight for people’s minds continue. We are close to eradicating illeteracy. However, there is a second peak of literacy ahead, looming like a new mountain. This is a peak social media cannot overcome. By fostering a culture that values both digital engagement and deep, reflective reading in various topics, we can expand on the literacy we have developed, sending us towards new horizons.

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