Dammam: The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, known as Ithra, will host the fifth annual iRead Marathon in collaboration with the Arab Federation for Libraries and Information and environmental partners, from Feb. 5 to 7.

The event will feature 52 libraries from 13 Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Palestine, Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Iraq.

This year’s marathon records a 235 percent increase in participation by Arab libraries compared to last year. It is part of a series of initiatives by Ithra aimed at promoting reading across different segments of society.

Abdullah Al-Hawas, head of Ithra Library, said the center places great emphasis on reading, making it a key priority for the next five years, and has launched the Arab Reading Index to monitor reading trends across Arab countries.

Al-Hawas added that the iRead Marathon aligns with these efforts, as reading is a fundamental pillar of knowledge, and the event’s fifth consecutive year expands participation locally and across the Arab world.

Ithra invites individuals and families to take part in the marathon, which provides an opportunity to enhance reading skills and explore the world of books.