Room to Read’s Dubai Gala Raises $1.9M for Children’s Education in Middle East as H.E. Badr Jafar Calls for Collective Action
November 25, 2025
Last week, more than 170 business, philanthropy and government leaders from across the Middle East gathered for our annual Dubai Gala — an evening that celebrated Room to Read’s 25th anniversary and raised US$1.9 million to support critical education needs across the region.
We were especially honored to welcome His Excellency Badr Jafar, Special Envoy for Business and Philanthropy for the UAE, who shared a powerful vision for what’s possible when governments, private and public partners align to invest in proven, scalable education solutions:
“Room to Read is not only expanding literacy; it is expanding dignity, opportunity and hope. Marking 25 years in Dubai is fitting: the UAE has built a culture of partnership where government, business and philanthropy work side by side to scale what works. Our charge from here is simple: go faster, together, so that every child has room to read, room to learn, and room to dream.”
The Middle East Fund: A Regional Commitment to Children’s Futures
H.E. Badr Jafar’s words capture the essence of why we launched our Middle East Fund, a focused fundraising initiative designed to protect children’s education and create safe, inspiring learning spaces across the region — especially in communities affected by conflict and displacement. Right now, more than 30 million children across the Middle East are out of school — at least one in three. Ongoing crises are pushing more children to the brink: in Gaza, more than 80% of schools are damaged and destroyed; and displacement has strained education systems in Lebanon, where roughly half of public schools now serve as shelters — affecting 1.5 million students.
In the face of ongoing conflict and displacement, we remain committed to safeguarding children’s education. Our teams are responding where infrastructure is strained and access disrupted, bringing evidence-based programs to the places where they are needed most.
Through the Middle East Fund, we’re committing to:
- Invest $5 million in the Middle East between 2025–2027 — tripling investment from the prior three years
- Support 100,000 children annually by 2027, nearly doubling reach across the region
- Expand and deepen programming in 4+ countries
Partnering for Scale and Impact
Since launching our work in the Middle East in 2017, Room to Read has worked to ensure education is not only a fundamental right for children in the region, but a lifeline of stability and hope. As education systems have become the first casualty of crisis, our interventions reach children wherever they are — in refugee camps and in non-formal education centers — with books, safe learning spaces and trained educators who inspire dignity and joy.
- Nearly 300,000 children have benefited from our programs in Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine
- 1.1 million books have been distributed in schools and communities
- 138 original and adapted children’s titles have been published in Arabic, helping young readers see themselves and their dreams reflected on the page
Room to Read works hand-in-hand with governments, local organizations, and system partners to benefit more children, more quickly. In Jordan, we’ve supported local publishers, authors and illustrators to produce and distribute over 600,000 Arabic-language children’s books to schools and refugee centers. In Gaza, our emergency packs delivered 10,000 learning kits to children. In Lebanon, we train educators in providing psycho-social support and social-emotional learning to children in crisis contexts. Our work is not possible without the local partners who help propel our mission.
Looking ahead, the Middle East Fund will expand this model: developing early grade literacy curriculum in partnership with governments, strengthening local children’s publishing with books that promote gender equality and social cohesion, and creating child-friendly libraries in non-formal education centers across Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq. By combining catalytic philanthropic investment with government and systems partnerships, we aim to accelerate impact — a vision aligned with the UAE’s growing role as a global philanthropic capital.
This year’s Dubai Gala reminded us of what becomes possible when community, commitment and urgency come together in the same room. The challenges facing children across the region are immense, but so is the belief that literacy and education can anchor stability, dignity and long-term opportunity. The transformational investment raised at the gala will help us benefit more children more quickly, but it’s the collective will behind them that gives us momentum. We’re grateful to everyone who stood with us in Dubai, and we’re ready to turn that shared purpose into lasting change for children across the region.