Dubai, UAE: Since its opening, the Mohammed bin Rashid Library attracted more than 40,000 visitors and members of different age groups and nationalities, who explored the Library's facilities, services, and various sections. The library also reported that more than 14 thousand books have been read since its inauguration.

During this period, the Library issued more than 34,000 visitors tickets, and more than 3,000 other tickets to visit the Treasures of the Library Exhibition. The Library’s avant-garde auto-store received around 1,000 requests for borrowing books by Library members.  

According to the latest statistics, visitors spent between 2 and 5 hours in the various sections of the library, while visitors’ ages ranged between 5 and 60 years old from different nationalities.

The Periodicals Library, Children’s Library, Young Adults Library, Emirates Library, and General Library took the lead as the most visited sections and the most time spent by visitors. Those were followed by the Media and Art Library, Business Library, and Maps and Atlases Library.

“The great success of the Mohammed bin Rashid Library in achieving this turnout of visitors and members during this short period is a clear indication of the viability of the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to support and promote the UAE’s comprehensive strategy to strengthen its cultural and intellectual scene while fostering and promoting creativity and knowledge across the Arab world. Driven by our firm belief in the importance of offering free access to library resources for all and supporting the advancement of the cultural scene in Dubai, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Library welcomes all visitors from different interests, cultural and ethnic backgrounds and age groups,” said Dr. Mohammed Salem Al Mazrouei, member of the Board of Trustees of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Library.

The Periodicals Library

The Periodicals Library provides academics, businessmen, students, researchers, and the public with access to a wide range of over 6000 titles in Arabic and English from both new and old magazines, newspapers, newsletters and other periodicals in print and digital formats. Visitors stay in the library between two and five hours, with ages ranging between 30-60 years.

The Media and Art Library

The Media and Art Library includes more than 15,000 print and digital works, spanning multiple media in art, architecture, design, fashion, music, performing arts, writings, and Emirati arts. The library also provides spaces for meetings, lectures, organising events, art performances, and interactive activities, in addition to reading and writing groups, author and autograph events, film screenings, creative and musical performances, and competitions. Visitors stay in the library between one and two hours, with ages ranging between 16-60 years.

The Young Adults Library

The Young Adults Library, which includes one of the largest reading collections in the region for young adults, offering around 11,000 titles, covering useful, exciting, and interesting genres, including books and novels in fantasy, science fiction, as well as biographies, art, culture, science and sports, and an impressive collection of comics, attracted youth between the ages of 12,15 and 20, where they spent between two to three hours.

The Children Library

The Children Library contains an inspiring collection of carefully selected publications, comprising more than 25,000 titles, including storybooks, reference books, encyclopedias, early learning books, and board books for preschoolers and first graders. The library also includes a collection of books and publications targeting children of determination, such as talking books, Braille books for the visually impaired, and sensory books. The library attracted children aged between 5 and 12 with their parents, where they spent 2-3 hours and participated in various complementary workshops and activations.

The Business Library

The Business Library contains nearly 25,000 titles on business administration, in addition to e-books, and electronic resources such as business databases. It also provides access to company information, directories and reports. Visitors to the library were between 18-60 years of age, spending around one to two hours.

The Emirates Library

Visitors to the Emirates Library, within the age group of 20-60 years, spent between 15 minutes and 3 hours there. The library offered them access to more than 15,000 titles, including a wide range of books, documents and periodicals on everything related to the components of Emirati cultural and social identity, such as Emirati cuisine, local archeology, poetry, history, music and handicrafts, in addition to the flora and fauna in the UAE.

The Maps and Atlases Library

The Maps and Atlases Library is one of the region’s most comprehensive and rich libraries. It includes a wide range of holdings and knowledge treasures, consisting of more than 3,000 printed maps, manuscripts, and digital media in various languages. Visitors, mostly researchers, historians, academics, travelers and students between 18-60 years of age, spent between 15 minutes and one hours in it.

The General Library

The General Library is one of the largest departments in Mohammed bin Rashid Library; It includes more than 29,000 titles with various topics that suit different interests, such as languages, history, geography, philosophy, health, sports, self-development, and literature, including novels and short stories, available in both Arabic and English. Visitors were between 16-60 years of age and spent between 30 minutes to three hours in the library.

The Treasures of The Library Exhibition

With more than 3,500 tickets sold, the Treasures of The Library Exhibition hosts an amazing collection of ancient and rare books, atlases and manuscripts, some of which date back to the 13th century, in addition to rare early copies of the Holy Quran, early editions of classic prints, and Latin translations of scientific sources dating back to the Islamic Golden Age.

A Vision to Spark Passion

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Library intends to spark a passion for knowledge throughout UAE society, especially youth, in addition to the conservation and promotion of Arabic literature, culture, and heritage by supporting and promoting reading, research, creativity, and entrepreneurship. The Library offers free access to a unique collection of books and other knowledge resources, as well as providing high-quality information services and launching leading cultural events. The Library is one of the world’s most technologically-advanced libraries, utilizing artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), holograms, and smart robots.

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About Mohammed Bin Rashid Library

Mohammed Bin Rashid Library was founded by Law Number 14 of 2016 to establish the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Library. This is part of the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to develop a knowledge-based society in Dubai and across the UAE. The Library has become one of the most ambitious culture- and knowledge-based initiatives in the Arab World.

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Library intends to spark a passion for knowledge throughout UAE society, especially young people, in addition to the conservation and promotion of Arabic literature, culture and heritage by supporting and promoting reading, research, creativity, and entrepreneurship. The Library offers free access to a unique collection of books and other knowledge resources, as well as providing high-quality information services and launching leading cultural events.