Amman, Sept. 29 (Petra) — The 2026 Reading Marathon launched Tuesday
under the slogan “Jordan Reads,” organized by the Abdul Hameed Shoman
Foundation (AHSF) in partnership with the Greater Amman Municipality
(GAM), the Ministry of Culture, and the Ministry of Education and
Human Resource Development, in cooperation with numerous cultural and
literary institutions, coinciding with National Reading Day observed
annually on Sept. 29.

The marathon aims to encourage reading and promote culture among
community members in an interactive atmosphere that combines learning
and enjoyment, introduce readers to new books, and create reading
communities by embedding reading as part of daily life.

GAM is participating in this year’s Reading Marathon through its
Public Libraries Department for the fourth time, across 20 subsidiary
libraries: Al-Raya Al-Hashimiya, Al-Bashaer, Umm Al-Muminin,
Al-Juwaideh, Wadi Al-Seer, Princess Iman, Al-Yasmeen, Al-Muqabaleen,
Aden, Qutayba, Al-Bayader Al-Hasan, Al-Farah, Al-Buraem Al-Wa’eda,
Mutah, Al-Baraa, Al-Nasr, Princess Salma, Hamza Bin Abdul Muttalib,
and Swelieh Public Library.

GAM said it has been a key partner of AHSF in organizing the marathon
for four years, seeking to develop and sustain a reading culture,
strengthen effective community participation, and affirm the role of
culture in building an aware, educated generation that interacts
positively with its community, deepens belonging to cultural
heritage, and reinforces national identity.

GAM is contributing to this year’s marathon by providing 1,000 books
from donations and publications as gifts for readers, participating
in cultural activities, placing promotional advertisements on bridges
and main squares, and equipping bus rapid transit (BRT) stations with
QR codes that allow users to download e-books from the AHSF Library.

The Reading Marathon is a globally inspired event that encourages
collective reading in an enjoyable, interactive manner, with
accompanying cultural activities such as intellectual games, book
signings, storytelling sessions, and book clubs, adding diversity and
vitality to the experience and motivating participants to continue
reading.

//Petra// AF