Deema Al Alami

Deema Al Alami is an educator, reading advocate, and children’s book author dedicated to fostering a love of reading in every family. In 2024, she co-founded and organized the first Annual Arab Child Summit in Dubai, Expo City. Deema also appeared on Shark Tank Season 1, where she secured investment for her literacy initiatives.
She recently launched the 'From Mother to Author' Master Program @mothertoauthor, supporting aspiring Arab children’s book authors, driven by her passion to enrich Arabic children’s literature. In March 2024, she published 48 Stories of Exile from Palestine, which was shortlisted as a finalist for the Palestinian Book Awards 2024 and generated over 200,000 USD for the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund. She co-authored two best-selling children’s books, including Hatha Jismi La Talmasni / “This is my body, don’t touch me,” one of the first Arabic body safety books for 0–6-year-olds.
Deema also co-founded the #AlalamiBookClub, with over 750 members, to promote adult reading for pleasure. Through her Instagram, she recommends the best children’s books in both English and Arabic, shares literacy tips, and conducts workshops for parents/caregivers and teachers on nurturing readers.
With over 16 years of experience in education and an MA in Education from King's College London and a BA in Elementary Education from the American University of Beirut, she has led major education reform projects across the MENA region, working with organizations such as USAID and Ministries of Education. She previously served as Vice President at GEMS Education for over seven years before dedicating herself full-time to promoting literacy.