Book lovers, take note, the wait is nearly over…

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Library was announced as part of the 2016 Year of Reading and is expected to be completed later this year. It aims to stand alongside the largest and most famed libraries in the world.

In a tweet, the Dubai Municipality announced that the structure is now 82 per cent completed.


So if you’re passing by the Al Jadaf area, expect to see this seven-storey building really taking shpae. The exterior structure has been designed to resemble an open book sitting on a rehl – a traditional lectern which holds the Quran.

Here’s what it will look like on the inside:

The 66,000 square meter library located on the Dubai Creek in Al Jaddaf area will not just be a library, but is designed to be the largest cultural centre in the Middle East and North Africa region.

Housing more than 4.5 million books, including printed and e-books, the library will also include several areas for events, activities, education and cultural festivals, as well as venues for exhibitions, and a 500-seat lecture theatre.

According to a report by Gulf Business, the main library will include eight specialised libraries targeting children, youth, family, business, Arabic, international, popular and multimedia. It will also include a centre for conservation and restoration of books, manuscripts and documents, a special library for the Al Maktoum collection and a civilisation museum.

The Mohammed Bin Rashid library will also host the main headquarters of The International Council for the Arabic Language and publish the Mohammad Bin Rashid Contemporary Arabic Language Dictionary.

When open, it is expected to receive around nine million visitors annually.

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Images: Dubai Municipality and Dubai Media Office