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Look: Sheikh Mohammed opens stunning book-shaped library

The Dh1 billion project will open to the public on Thursday, June 16

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The lectern-shaped Mohammed bin Rashid Library on the Dubai Creek bank has been inaugurated. Taking to Twitter, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai said the Dh1-billion project has nine main libraries.

The library will open to the public on Thursday, June 16.

Calling it a “beacon of knowledge”, he said the seven-storey building has over a million books and six million research theses.

“Today we launch a cultural and intellectual edifice for our new generations, through which we aim to promote reading, spread knowledge and support researchers and scientists. Our goal is to illuminate the human mind,” Sheikh Mohammed tweeted.

Referring to the first verse of the holy Quran that was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the Dubai Ruler said: “The first commandment from heaven to earth is the word ‘read’ (iqra). The economy needs knowledge, politics needs wisdom and nations need to learn. And all these and more can be found in books. Through this library, we have brought together millions of books to develop our path, consolidate our identity, culture and roots and create our future.”

The library, designed in the shape of a rehl, the traditional wooden book rest used to hold the holy Quran, has been built in Al Jaddaf. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid had first announced the project in 2016 as the country marked the Year of Reading.

It is the biggest cultural centre and library of its kind in the Mena region.

A wealth of knowledge

The Mohammed bin Rashid Library aims to help people with various interests, especially youth, access printed and digital books.

Across its seven floors, the Mohammed bin Rashid Library features significant content. This includes more than 1.1 million printed and digital books in Arabic and foreign languages, over 6 million dissertations; around 73,000 music scores; 75,000 videos; around 13,000 articles, and more than 5,000 historical print and digital journals within an archive covering 325 years. It also features about 35,000 print and digital newspapers from around the world, and nearly 500 rare collectibles.

9 main libraries powered by the latest tech

The project has nine specialised libraries:

In addition to paperback books, the library provides access to a wide range of e-books and other digital media.

The library’s facilities use the latest technology and artificial intelligence. It features an automated storage and electronic book retrieval system; self-service kiosks; a book digitisation laboratory; and robots to respond to visitors’ inquiries. It also has augmented and virtual reality technologies.

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Future is green

It is an environmentally friendly library that has adopted the highest standards of sustainability. It gets 10 per cent of its energy from solar panels installed on the roof of the building. The external structure is designed to insulate the building’s interior, reduce heat gain, and help regulate the building's internal environment.

It is designed to reduce water consumption by 50 per cent. Water is recycled from air conditioners to irrigate green spaces.

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