Riyadh library gets new collection of rare books

A view of the King Fahad National Library in Riyadh. (Supplied)

The King Abdul Aziz Public Library in Riyadh has added a new collection of rare books about the Arabian Peninsula to its archives.
One of the rare books includes “Travels in Arabia Deserta” by Charles M. Doughty, who visited the north of the peninsula between 1875 and 1877. He wrote about the archaeological treasures of Madain Saleh.
Around the same time, French traveler Charles Huber also undertook a scientific trip to the area accompanied by M. Euting, an expert in Semitic inscriptions. Their trip led them to write a book titled “Journal of a Journey to Arabia” in 1891. The library provides a key index of Saudi culture, presenting the world with a rich legacy of cultural, historical, and literary diversity.
It possesses a variety of heritage treasures in manuscripts, documents, rare books, coins, and photographs. The library has 8,571 books and more than 5,000 manuscripts, documents, coins, and rare maps. The library has established a knowledge-based space to produce large collections of specialized books on the history of the Kingdom and in the Arab and Islamic worlds while continuing to use its knowledge system in line with Vision 2030.