Mohammad Bin Rashid Library – Dubai – UAE

Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced the conception of the library in February 2016, the Year of Reading in Dubai. Designed in the shape of an opened book on a lectern, the seven story library will cover 650,000 square feet of property and is expected to facilitate 9 million visitors annually. The Mohammed Bin Rashid Library will house over 4.5 million printed, digital, and audio books. The Dh 1 billion contract for the construction for the Mohammed Bin Rashid Library is the largest cultural project in Dubai. Construction began on September 2016, to be completed by mid-2018. As of December 2017, the construction of the library is 22% completed.

The library will encompass eight specialized collections, including an information centre, a media centre, an Arabic library, an international library, a public library, a business library, a youth library, a children’s library, a family library, and a reading corner. Furthermore, the library will include a center for conservation and preservation of books, manuscripts, and documents as well as a special library for the Al Maktoum Collection. The library will host over 100 cultural and intellectual events every year along with a permanent art gallery. The inclusion of a Civilization museum and an Arab Heritage Museum will allow people to embrace their Arab identity through heritage preservation initiatives. There will be a 500-seat theater for lectures and seminars for launching intellectual and cultural events regionally and globally.