Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, founder and chairperson of the Kalimat Foundation, confirmed that the foundation continues to solidify its model based on accessible publishing as a sustainable empowerment tool rather than a temporary intervention. She emphasized that investing in knowledge represents one of the deepest and most impactful forms of support in the lives of children and their communities.
Sheikha Bodour also stated, during her chairing of the foundation's board meeting yesterday, that accessible publishing is a knowledge system that rebuilds a child's relationship with reading, education, and life. It opens new doors for children to understand themselves and the world around them, providing them with tools that enhance their independence and decision-making abilities. She pointed out that the foundation constantly works on developing its programs and tools to empower children intellectually, as a child capable of accessing knowledge becomes more able to protect their rights, participate in their community's development, and engage consciously with the challenges of their era.
In 2025, the foundation achieved a wide-scale impact through its 'Adopt a Library' initiative, reaching 42 locations worldwide by donating 4,600 Arabic-language children's books to 46 mobile libraries across eight countries, reflecting the foundation's efforts to support children in the most vulnerable environments.
During the meeting, the board reviewed the key achievements of 2025, including a partnership with Canon to launch an innovative experience allowing blind individuals to 'feel images,' and the launch of the first phase of comprehensive accessible books in a significant step that enhances the concept of knowledge accessibility.
Under the 'Adopt a Library' initiative, the Kalimat Foundation continued its humanitarian presence by supporting Arab children in hospitals and treatment centers, assisting Palestinian children through the Emirati City for Humanitarian Services, and supporting children in need at private schools in the UAE. It also renovated a library in the Ifrane region in Morocco. Furthermore, the foundation launched a product line in collaboration with French-Tunisian artist 'El Seed' to support the 'Adopt a Library' initiative, enhancing its sustainability and linking it to the creative arts.
2025 saw the organization of reading workshops and specialized training courses for blind and visually impaired children under the 'I See' initiative, which aims to develop the cognitive abilities of these children in reading and writing. The initiative provides a diverse range of books and publications in multiple accessible formats, including Braille books, large-print books, audiobooks, and EPUB3 e-books, in line with the foundation's commitment to ensuring this category has equal access to knowledge tools and cultural content.
The meeting was attended by Sheikha Sheikha bint Khalid Al Qasimi, Vice Chairperson of the Board of Trustees; Sheikha Fahim bin Sultan bin Khalid Al Qasimi, Treasurer; Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, and the Board's Secretary-General, Noura bint Mohammed Al Kabbi, and members of the Kalimat Foundation's Board of Trustees: Dr. Moza Al Khater, Ahmed bin Rakad Al Ameri, Abla Belouchi, and Fouad Mansour Sharaf.
