One thing to remember about the new Mohammed bin Rashid Library is that it isn’t really a library. At the centre, board director Jamal Al Shehhi believes, there is so much more to learn. “We’re talking about a cultural centre, a realm of imagination where you can make your own discoveries,” he says during a tour of the spectacular venue on the banks of the Dubai Creek in Al Barsha.
The Dh1 billion facility, which took six years to construct and will open to the public on Thursday, is a cultural hub in its own right, joining Sharjah’s House of Wisdom in setting the way for future libraries. An indoor and outdoor amphitheatre, a literary museum, a conference centre, a two-story cafe, and a gift shop are also available.
Electronic gaming lounges, a monthly author event schedule, and a ferry service from Dubai Festival City to the location for certain sessions of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature are all on the cards. This is in addition to the library’s own amazing catalogue, which includes more than one million physical and digital works in 30 languages, according to Al Shehhi.
The new destination’s sheer size will necessitate multiple visits to fully comprehend the extent and ambition involved.