ICESCO unveils Sultan Qaboos Library at its Rabat headquarters

STAFF REPORTER
MUSCAT, APRIL 16
The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) will inaugurated the Sultan Qaboos Library at its headquarters in Rabat on Thursday. This initiative reflects the organisation’s commitment to promoting knowledge, expanding cultural and scientific spaces, supporting research, and facilitating access to knowledge resources.
The inaugural ceremony was held under the auspices of Khalid bin Salim Bamkhalif, Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to the Kingdom of Morocco, and attended by Dr. Salim bin Mohammed Al Malik, Director-General of the ISESCO.
The establishment of this knowledge landmark comes as a result of cooperation between ICESCO and the Sultanate of Oman, which contributed to supporting the project that bears the name of the late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos in recognition of his contributions to the support of culture and science, as well as the role of the Sultanate of Oman in promoting cultural initiatives across the Islamic world. This library is part of ICESCO’s knowledge work system, under the management of the Translation and Publishing Centre.
The library inauguration ceremony was accompanied by a symposium organised in cooperation with the Oman National Commission for Education, Culture and Science. The symposium will address the role of libraries in transferring knowledge and promoting translation and publishing, as well as highlighting the contributions of cultural diplomacy and cooperation relations between cultural institutions in both the Islamic and international spheres.
The library offers a modern space for reading and research, combining print and digital resources to provide researchers, students, and those interested in cultural and scientific issues with access to knowledge sources. In its initial phase, the library houses over 6,000 print titles, along with a digital collection offering nearly 200,000 titles available through ICESCO’s digital platform. This collection is part of an initial phase that will be further developed through the integration of the digital library with broader knowledge systems and databases.
It also includes rare documentary treasures, including a copy of the Holy Quran written in the handwriting of Ibn al Bawwab, the Kairouan parchments, which are historical manuscripts, as well as a deluxe edition of the book “Al Masjid Al Aqsa” in a limited release.
Moreover, the library provides a dedicated space for children, aimed at fostering a love of reading and enhancing their cultural awareness by linking knowledge with human values and sustainable development issues, in line with ICESCO’s approach to building early knowledge awareness among future generations.