Saudis of all ages starting to read more

Saudis appear to be reading more compared to the past, including books made into movies and posts on social networking websites.
“Teenagers tend to read books that have been turned into movies,” said Cyrus Yastrada Gonzales, a salesman at Jarir bookstore, recently.
“The media has a tremendous effect on book sales. Books that have been used as a basis for movies are always booked before their arrival. An example is The Hunger Games, The Fault in Our Stars, and The City of Bones. Such books are out of stock within three to four days after their arrival.”
“Most Saudi adults tend to go for business-related or self-development books. Books of Stephen Covey and Jack Field are very much in demand. Fiction novels are almost always read by women alone. Men go for fiction only when it is an action novel.”
“I believe there are two distinct groups of youth when it comes to reading,” said Sabah Aisawi, who has a PhD in child literature from Dammam University and is a member of the city’s literary club. “The first is the avid readers who enjoy the pastime and are highly motivated to read in different areas including fiction and nonfiction.”
“The second group is the social media group whose reading is limited to posts on Twitter, Facebook and other social media. The first group will definitely expand their knowledge and build character. The benefits for the second group are mainly restricted to knowing about current events and subjective views of those events in addition to some knowledge in other areas.”
Ali Marhoon, a 25-year-old Saudi aircraft technician, said he is a regular reader and a member and co-founder of the “Mobile Reading Club” that meets every two weeks to discuss a certain book.
“We also arrange for public events every now and then so the club successfully attracts more readers every time. I think the reading level in Saudi in general is low in comparison with other cultures. However, the youth have started to read more in the past five years. I’m optimistic about the intellectual future of the new generation.”
Sukainah Ali, a Saudi systems engineering student studying in the US, said: “I have been raised in a family where reading is a priority. In the US, people read just about everywhere including on the train, in shopping malls, restaurants and waiting rooms. I don’t think people are reading less, it is only that they’re reading differently.”