From correspondents in Emirates, UAE, 04:02 PM IST

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has pledged to eradicate illiteracy within seven years to become the first Arab country to attain 100 percent literacy, WAM news agency reported.

The country hopes to bid farewell to illiteracy by 2015 or even before, Arabic newspaper Al Ittihad quoted officials of the education ministry as saying.

A recent survey showed that the illiteracy rate in the UAE has declined from 22 percent in 2000 to 9 percent in 2005.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)