On International day of Education, a delegation from Expo City Dubai Authority visits the library to explore its facilities, services, and unique experience

Dubai, UAE, 25 January 2023:  The Mohammed bin Rashid Library (MBRL) received a delegation from Expo City Dubai Authority (ECDA), headed by Najeeb Mohammed Al-Ali, Executive Director of the Expo 2020 Dubai Authority, to learn about the Library’s unique services and facilities and explore its collection of intellectual treasures across various disciplines and fields. The delegation also gifted the Library more than 100 books about Expo 2020 Dubai and different cultural and knowledge fields.

Members of the visiting delegation were welcomed by Dr. Mohammed Salem Al Mazrouei, Board Member of the MBRL Foundation, where the two parties discussed ways of enhancing cooperation on areas of mutual interest.

Welcoming the delegation's visit, Dr. Al Mazrouei stressed the importance of boosting joint efforts and partnerships between government entities and private institutions across cultural and intellectual fields, aimed at promoting the entire cultural scene and ensuring its sustainability. This is achieved, according to Dr. Al Mazrouei, by leveraging the capabilities and facilities of every institution to highlight the UAE's milestones, including Expo 2020 Dubai, and pass them down to the next generations.

“Today, Expo City Dubai is the living tangible legacy to one of the most prominent successes of this global exhibition. Similarly, MBRL stands as a unique knowledge platform introducing future generations to our nation’s success in achieving its vision and goals. This is how such success for Expo will remain entrenched in the records of human civilization,” added Dr. Al Mazrouei.

Najeeb Mohammed Al-Ali said: “Both Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Library and Expo City Dubai are proud contributors to the constantly evolving UAE cultural and educational scene. By gifting this diverse and unique collection of books, we share the stories of our World Expo with generations of knowledge seekers, cementing its legacy and further contributing to an integrated, coordinated knowledge ecosystem for the benefit and prosperity of our nation.”
The delegation was briefed on the Treasures of The Library exhibition, which displays a fascinating collection of rare and old books, atlases, manuscripts, and documents, some of which date back to the 13th century, along with first editions from Arab and international cultures, and rare Arab periodicals from the Arab world and beyond.

The delegation visited the Children’s Library, which houses an inspiring collection of carefully selected publications, comprising more than 25,000 titles of storybooks, reference books, encyclopedias, early learning books, 3D books, and board books for preschoolers and first graders. The library also includes a collection of publications targeting children of determination, such as audiobooks, Braille books for the visually impaired, and sensory books.

Afterwards, the ECDA delegation presented MBRL with over 100 books, some of which share inspiring stories and ideas behind launching the Expo, as well as highlight its themes, architecture, mechanisms of designing and building its pavilions, and the power of international cooperation stimulated by Expo’s vision, and finally its lasting legacy.

The gift also included another collection of specialised books comprising the latest ECDA publications, including the titles of ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’, ‘Shared Vision, Shared Voices’, along with a collection of children stories from all over the world provided in Arabic, English, and Braille languages.