Culture and coffee at Kuttab Cafe in Dubai

Gulf News

At Kuttab Cafe in Uptown Mirdif, coffee and books are rolled into one for book lovers and writers in the UAE. Patrons converge to develop a deeper culture of reading and writing over their favorite cups of coffee.

Transcript

00:00It's a cultural cafe, it means mixing articles, good coffee, good books, encouraging reading

00:11in the first place, as well as writing, finding a quiet place to sit, to mingle with the people

00:20in the cultural field.

00:23It's good when culture becomes lifestyle.

00:27We have students who come to study here, we have people who like to read, as well as people

00:32who like to write, and they choose this to be their place.

00:34Basically, all the books here, in the bookshop or in the lounge, it's for reading, you don't

00:39have to buy it.

00:4060% of the books are in Arabic, 40% in different languages.

00:44We have a small committee, we choose the bestseller in Arabic.

00:48Our bookshop has the bestseller in Arabic from different publishing houses in different

00:54Arabic countries.

00:55Plus, if you need any specific book, we order it for you, as well.

00:59Plus, we have here events.

01:02Every Saturday, we do have events, different events.

01:05We have book signing, talk, speeches, we do have movie night here, we have a piano night,

01:12we have book clubs, as well.

01:14This is what makes our place different, the activity, the event that we have, as well.

01:19This is one of the things we do, encouraging the cultural world in UAE, move it a little

01:24bit in a different way, and present it in a very modern way.

01:28So far, people are satisfied when they come to the bookshop.

01:32They like the title, some of them, they chose the title before, some of them, they are looking

01:36for the title, they didn't find it anywhere in the market, they found it here.

01:40We do have over 3,000 titles.

01:43This was my dream.

01:44I was wondering when I used to be a student, you know, why don't we have a place such that

01:48in UAE?

01:49After I graduated, I came here, I said I was searching for such a place I didn't find.

01:54So I decided I will open it by myself.

01:57So I worked for it, you know.

01:58First, I started with the publishing house, and after that, I opened it, like step by

02:03step.

02:04It's like family.

02:05Books become family.

02:06With the family, you need a good place, a safe place, a nice place.

02:10So this is the idea behind it.

02:12I'm a writer, as well.

02:13I write.

02:14I need to read.

02:16I need a place to feel like home.

02:19I need a different option of titles.

02:21We are encouraging reading indirectly, so we could close this gap.

02:26We need to read.

02:29Reading today, it's like life and death, really.

02:32If you read, it will change your life.

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