Dubai has a new architectural marvel on its horizon and this time it's in the shape of a bookstand.
Mohammed bin Rashid Library, which opens to the public on Thursday, spans more than 54,000 square metres, with seven floors and nine thematic libraries.
The Dh1 billion venue, which took six years to build, was officially inaugurated by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, on Monday, and aims to be a cultural centre, joining Sharjah’s House of Wisdom in paving the way for libraries of the future.
Here's everything you need to know about visiting the UAE's newest cultural landmark.
Where is the library located?
It's in Al Jaddaf, by the Dubai Creek, offering spectacular views of the waterway.
Do I need a ticket to enter or is there an entry fee?
As with most conventional libraries, there is no need to buy a ticket to enter. There is no entry fee required.
However, it is recommended to download the library app and reserve your time slots online.
Are children allowed in?
Children under 5 are not allowed to enter, but those aged 5 and over are welcome and there is even a dedicated library only for them, with an indoor slide.
This includes a generously sized section dedicated to blind children with books published in braille. A sensory pod is also available to accommodate those with autism.
Can I buy a membership?
Yes, there will be a paid membership scheme in place that allows UAE residents to borrow books for varying lengths of time.
Details and prices for this have not yet been announced, but will be available on the website soon.
What are the library's opening hours?
The library will be open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 9pm and is closed on Sundays.
Is there free parking?
Yes, there is a nine-storey underground parking area with free car parking, including spots for electric vehicles.
Can I get there by public transport?
Al Jaddaf Metro station is the nearest and a shaded walking path is being built to allow direct access to the library.
You can also go via Dubai Bus route C04, which stops at the Creek Metro Station.
What's inside the library?
There are nine thematic libraries within the space. Library content becomes increasingly specialised as you go up the seven levels, while the ground floor is home to three libraries filled with the most accessible content.
There is a General Library, an Emirates Library, one for children and another for young adults, others focusing on business titles, periodicals, maps and atlases, and another that centres on media and the arts, which is home to expansive collections of Arabic newspapers and magazines spanning the mid-20th century.
There's also a private collections library, but visitors need special permission to access this area.
This is in addition to an indoor and outdoor amphitheatre, a literary museum, a conference centre, a two-storey cafe and a gift shop.
And, that’s only the opening phase: on the horizon are electronic gaming lounges, a monthly programme of author events and a ferry service from Dubai Festival City to the venue for select sessions of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature.
What is the Treasures of the Library exhibition?
The Treasures of the Library section is on the seventh floor. It is a museum with hundreds of encased works; the collection has rare books, manuscripts and documents dating back to the 13th century. These include old copies of the Quran and a first edition of Miguel de Cervantes's 17th-century epic novel Don Quixote.
Also on hand is a first edition of Description de L'Egypte, a series of publications, appearing first in 1809, cataloguing various aspects of ancient and modern Egypt, written by scholars and academics who accompanied Napoleon Bonaparte on his expedition to the country in 1798.
“Collecting these works took two years,” board director Jamal Al Shehhi told The National during a preview of the library. “We had teams going around the world searching for them and even acquiring them at charity auctions. We were determined to get the best titles that we can find.”
How many books are there?
According to Al Shehhi, there are more than one million physical and digital titles spanning 30 languages, and the library continues to build its catalogue.
The general library boasts more than 100,000 titles and is the place to seek popular novels and non-fiction titles.
The children’s library has about 17,000 titles and the Emirates Library, located on the sixth floor, contains more than 37,000 books written about the UAE in many languages and genres.
How do I find books?
All the books are organised numerically, rather than alphabetically and in genre, but it is recommended to search online for the availability of your preferred book in order to know exactly where to find it.
“We operate by name of the titles as opposed to language,” Al Shehhi said. “When we acquire books, we not only get multiple copies but also in as many languages as we can.”
Books are delivered to various points around the library via monorail.
Can I work from the library?
There are dozens of couches, reading desks and workstations.
For those who need a little more peace and quiet, the second floor has plenty of spacious study rooms. These are free of charge to those who book online.
A smart scanner even allows students to scan portions of books or resources and email it to themselves.
Is there anything else there?
Outside, there is the Garden of Quotes, featuring pillars with more than 60 of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid’s quotes written in a variety of languages from Arabic and English to Bosnian, Korean, Urdu and even Amharic.
What else has the library got planned?
Beginning next month, Library Talks is a series of monthly events featuring bestselling authors from the region and beyond discussing their works.
More information is available at www.mbrl.ae
Scroll through the gallery below to see more of Mohammed bin Rashid Library:
HIV on the rise in the region
A 2019 United Nations special analysis on Aids reveals 37 per cent of new HIV infections in the Mena region are from people injecting drugs.
New HIV infections have also risen by 29 per cent in western Europe and Asia, and by 7 per cent in Latin America, but declined elsewhere.
Egypt has shown the highest increase in recorded cases of HIV since 2010, up by 196 per cent.
Access to HIV testing, treatment and care in the region is well below the global average.
Few statistics have been published on the number of cases in the UAE, although a UNAIDS report said 1.5 per cent of the prison population has the virus.
SPECS
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COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
WHAT FANS WILL LOVE ABOUT RUSSIA
FANS WILL LOVE
Uber is ridiculously cheap and, as Diego Saez discovered, mush safer. A 45-minute taxi from Pulova airport to Saint Petersburg’s Nevsky Prospect can cost as little as 500 roubles (Dh30).
FANS WILL LOATHE
Uber policy in Russia is that they can start the fare as soon as they arrive at the pick-up point — and oftentimes they start it even before arriving, or worse never arrive yet charge you anyway.
FANS WILL LOVE
It’s amazing how active Russians are on social media and your accounts will surge should you post while in the country. Throw in a few Cyrillic hashtags and watch your account numbers rocket.
FANS WILL LOATHE
With cold soups, bland dumplings and dried fish, Russian cuisine is not to everybody’s tastebuds. Fortunately, there are plenty Georgian restaurants to choose from, which are both excellent and economical.
FANS WILL LOVE
The World Cup will take place during St Petersburg's White Nights Festival, which means perpetual daylight in a city that genuinely never sleeps. (Think toddlers walking the streets with their grandmothers at 4am.)
FANS WILL LOATHE
The walk from Krestovsky Ostrov metro station to Saint Petersburg Arena on a rainy day makes you wonder why some of the $1.7 billion was not spent on a weather-protected walkway.
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Results
Light Flyweight (49kg): Mirzakhmedov Nodirjon (UZB) beat Daniyal Sabit (KAZ) by points 5-0.
Flyweight (52kg): Zoirov Shakhobidin (UZB) beat Amit Panghol (IND) 3-2.
Bantamweight (56kg): Kharkhuu Enkh-Amar (MGL) beat Mirazizbek Mirzahalilov (UZB) 3-2.
Lightweight (60kg): Erdenebat Tsendbaatar (MGL) beat Daniyal Shahbakhsh (IRI) 5-0.
Light Welterweight (64kg): Baatarsukh Chinzorig (MGL) beat Shiva Thapa (IND) 3-2.
Welterweight (69kg): Bobo-Usmon Baturov (UZB) beat Ablaikhan Zhussupov (KAZ) RSC round-1.
Middleweight (75kg): Jafarov Saidjamshid (UZB) beat Abilkhan Amankul (KAZ) 4-1.
Light Heavyweight (81kg): Ruzmetov Dilshodbek (UZB) beat Meysam Gheshlaghi (IRI) 3-2.
Heavyweight (91kg): Sanjeet (IND) beat Vassiliy Levit (KAZ) 4-1.
Super Heavyweight ( 91kg): Jalolov Bakhodir (UZB) beat Kamshibek Kunkabayev (KAZ) 5-0.
Indoor cricket World Cup:
Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE fixtures:
Men
Saturday, September 16 – 1.45pm, v New Zealand
Sunday, September 17 – 10.30am, v Australia; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Monday, September 18 – 2pm, v England; 7.15pm, v India
Tuesday, September 19 – 12.15pm, v Singapore; 5.30pm, v Sri Lanka
Thursday, September 21 – 2pm v Malaysia
Friday, September 22 – 3.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 3pm, grand final
Women
Saturday, September 16 – 5.15pm, v Australia
Sunday, September 17 – 2pm, v South Africa; 7.15pm, v New Zealand
Monday, September 18 – 5.30pm, v England
Tuesday, September 19 – 10.30am, v New Zealand; 3.45pm, v South Africa
Thursday, September 21 – 12.15pm, v Australia
Friday, September 22 – 1.30pm, semi-final
Saturday, September 23 – 1pm, grand final
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Tips on buying property during a pandemic
Islay Robinson, group chief executive of mortgage broker Enness Global, offers his advice on buying property in today's market.
While many have been quick to call a market collapse, this simply isn’t what we’re seeing on the ground. Many pockets of the global property market, including London and the UAE, continue to be compelling locations to invest in real estate.
While an air of uncertainty remains, the outlook is far better than anyone could have predicted. However, it is still important to consider the wider threat posed by Covid-19 when buying bricks and mortar.
Anything with outside space, gardens and private entrances is a must and these property features will see your investment keep its value should the pandemic drag on. In contrast, flats and particularly high-rise developments are falling in popularity and investors should avoid them at all costs.
Attractive investment property can be hard to find amid strong demand and heightened buyer activity. When you do find one, be prepared to move hard and fast to secure it. If you have your finances in order, this shouldn’t be an issue.
Lenders continue to lend and rates remain at an all-time low, so utilise this. There is no point in tying up cash when you can keep this liquidity to maximise other opportunities.
Keep your head and, as always when investing, take the long-term view. External factors such as coronavirus or Brexit will present challenges in the short-term, but the long-term outlook remains strong.
Finally, keep an eye on your currency. Whenever currency fluctuations favour foreign buyers, you can bet that demand will increase, as they act to secure what is essentially a discounted property.
England ODI squad
Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Tom Curran, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.
UAE's role in anti-extremism recognised
General John Allen, President of the Brookings Institution research group, commended the role the UAE has played in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism.
He told a Globsec debate of the UAE’s "hugely outsized" role in the fight against Isis.
"It’s trite these days to say that any country punches above its weight, but in every possible way the Emirates did, both militarily, and very importantly, the UAE was extraordinarily helpful on getting to the issue of violent extremism," he said.
He also noted the impact that Hedayah, among others in the UAE, has played in addressing violent extremism.
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Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
Naga
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Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
In Search of Mary Shelley: The Girl Who Wrote Frankenstein
By Fiona Sampson
Profile
Scoreline
Al Wasl 1 (Caio Canedo 90 1')
Al Ain 2 (Ismail Ahmed 3', Marcus Berg 50')
Red cards: Ismail Ahmed (Al Ain) 77'
FIGHT CARD
Fights start from 6pm Friday, January 31
Catchweight 82kg
Piotr Kuberski (POL) v Ahmed Saeb (IRQ)
Women’s bantamweight
Cornelia Holm (SWE) v Corinne Laframboise (CAN)
Welterweight
Omar Hussein (JOR) v Vitalii Stoian (UKR)
Welterweight
Josh Togo (LEB) v Ali Dyusenov (UZB)
Flyweight
Isaac Pimentel (BRA) v Delfin Nawen (PHI)
Catchweight 80kg
Seb Eubank (GBR) v Mohamed El Mokadem (EGY)
Lightweight
Mohammad Yahya (UAE) v Ramadan Noaman (EGY)
Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) v Reydon Romero (PHI)
Welterweight
Ahmed Labban (LEB) v Juho Valamaa (FIN)
Featherweight
Elias Boudegzdame (ALG) v Austin Arnett (USA)
Super heavyweight
Roman Wehbe (LEB) v Maciej Sosnowski (POL)
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Steve Smith (capt), David Warner, Cameron Bancroft, Jackson Bird, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine, Chadd Sayers, Mitchell Starc.
Key Points
- Protests against President Omar Al Bashir enter their sixth day
- Reports of President Bashir's resignation and arrests of senior government officials
