Dubai to launch 1,000 titles as audio books

Khalid Wazani, Strategy and Knowledge Advisor, MBRF; Jamal bin Huwaireb, CEO, MBRF; and Saif Al Mansouri, Director General, MBRF Holding during the launch of the region's largest Audiobook Platform at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation Headquarters in Dubai. - Photo by Dhes Handumon

A thousand books are ready to be launched online on what is being dubbed as the largest audio book platform in the Arab region.
The website, called Masmoou.com, is a project by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF) and aims to help Arab writers get more exposure.
The launch of books into audio books will also help residents who simply "don't have time to read print books".
"We have 1,000 audio books ready for launch. Our plans are to work closely with publishing houses and select books to work on them," Saif Al Mansouri, director-general of MBRF Holding, said.
"Nowadays, people are busy and our lives are busy. We get stuck in traffic for so long and we travel a lot. So we can just listen to audio books. Sometimes, it's different when you read a book. But when you hear the book, it feels like you're in the story."
For the first phase of the project, only Arabic audio books will be published. Content in foreign languages will be added at a later stage. The first phase is also meant to "preserve and promote" the Arabic language and its "authenticity and heritage".
The list of audio books will include Qindeel Educational's 'Books in Minutes' series, which offers books in a summarised version. More than 100 books will be recorded as audio books.
"In line with the innovative vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the MBRF has, since its inception, strived to launch state-of-the-art initiatives that work to push the boundaries of knowledge into new horizons," Jamal bin Huwaireb, CEO of MBRF, said.
"We work to spread a culture of knowledge into new horizons. We work to spread a culture of knowledge and education among all segments of society."
Huwaireb added that Masmoou.com is a major milestone in culture and knowledge development. "This ultimately falls under our main objective: To spread culture and knowledge across the community. The platform will collaborate with educational institutions, publishing houses and libraries to keep up with the rapid technological advancements and tap into the great benefits and outreach of audio books," he said.
The audio books will be launched soon and will be available at a fixed price.
reporters@khaleejtimes.com