Qatar National Library held a four-day “Professionals Library”
event in Msheireb Downtown Doha, between 19 – 22 October 2022. The event, which falls
under the “Read to Lead" program as part of the Library’s “Qatar Reads” initiative, brought
together like-minded individuals to share their ideas and expertise with others to support in
improving themselves and using reading as means of promoting professional growth and self-
development.
The event included participation from a broad range of entities, such as publishing houses and
members of the Qatari Publishers and Distributors Forum, including the Ministry of Culture, Dar
Rosa for Publishing and Distribution, Alif Stores and Dar Nawa, who provided book kiosks with a
wide range of collections on professional and self-development.
The “Professionals Library” event included sessions on several topics including, “Professional
Talk,” where participants had a chance to network with experienced professionals who embody
career growth and development, and “Professionals Forum,” which offered participants a
chance to take part in discussions with inspiring leaders in the Qatari community.
Riad Ahmed Yassin, Director of the Qatari Publishers and Distributors Forum said: “We are
pleased to be participating in the ‘Professionals Library’ event. One of the objectives of the
Ministry of Culture is to unite the efforts of cultural bodies and involve Qatari publishing houses
in events that encourage reading and localization of writers to highlight their publications and
introduce the community to the Qatari publishing sector.”
Speakers at the event included Reem Al-Thani, Acting Deputy CEO of Exhibitions and Marketing
and the Director of Centralized Exhibitions at Qatar Museums who opened the event with a
discussion on the “Multidisciplinary Profession” and how one person can operate in many
diverse disciplines through reading. Other speakers included Mohammed Al-Janahi,
Professional Learning Designer at Qatar Foundation's Educational Development Institute, Khalid
Yassin, Chief Programs Officer at Teach for Qatar and Wadha Al-Athba, Certified Trainer and
Life Coach.
Commenting on the event, Fatima Al Malki, Project Manager of Qatar Reads, said: “The
“Professionals Library” event is the first step towards creating a community of ambitious and
enthusiastic readers in Qatar. We hope this event will help to build the use of reading and
human stories as a catalyst for self-development and we hope to see everyone at next year's
event.”

The “Read to Lead” program is part of “Qatar Reads”, a Qatar National Library initiative, which
was originally launched by the former Qatar Foundation Community Development Department
in 2019 to encourage residents of Qatar to read every day.
The “Qatar Reads” initiative focuses on making reading an essential part of the community’s
daily activities in Qatar, and an effective tool for spreading knowledge, instilling values,
encouraging analytical thinking and promoting social development. The project offers a variety
of ways in which families, youth and various segments of society can interact with the world of
reading.