MAKING OF
MOHAMMED BIN RASHID LIBRARY
Boulevard of Knowledge Media and Arts, Business and Periodicals. It also houses an amphitheatre that can host over five hundred people at a time, a picturesque garden and a cafe spread over two floors.
The state-of-the-art Mohammed Bin Rashid Library is a representation of Dubai’s cultural face embracing knowledge through modern technology and intellectual sections
T
■ Anam Khan
he Mohammed Bin Rashid Library (MBRL), which opened its doors to the public on June 16, 2022, embodies a rich history of cultures and civilisations, and is a distinctive cultural landmark intertwined with education, culture and tourism of the UAE. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and the Ruler of Dubai, announced the conception of the library in February 2016, the ‘Year of Reading’, in Dubai. Touted as the biggest library in the MENA region, Mohammed Bin Rashid Library isn’t your usual library, so don’t expect the ‘Please Be Quiet’ signs. Instead,
7 9 54,000 13,000 6
FLOORS
LIBRARIES
MILLION RESEARCH ARTICLES
SQUARE METRES AREA
ARTICLES MORE THAN
73,000 75,000 MUSIC SCORES
VIDEOS
5,000 35,000 HISTORICAL PRINT AND DIGITAL JOURNALS
it’s a space where readers can come together and build up a conversation and leave knowing that you have earned a bit of additional knowledge. Located in Al Jaddaf, it has been designed to resemble an open book sitting on a rehl (a traditional lectern, which holds the Quran). The Mohammed Bin Rashid Library has seven floors
PRINT AND DIGITAL NEWSPAPERS
and spans 54,000 square metres. Overlooking the scenic waters of Dubai creek, this sanctuary of book lovers can host 1,000 visitors at a time. Built at a cost of Dh1 billion, the MBRL has nine specialised libraries — General, Emirates and one each for Young Adults, Children, Special Collections, Maps and Atlases,
Main Features The Treasures of Library on the seventh floor houses some rarest first edition of books, including ‘Astronomicum Caesaraum’ (The Emperor’s Astronomy by Petrus Apian, one of the foremost astronomers of the 16th century and the first issue of William Shakespeare’s 1632 book comedies, histories and tragedies. The Children’s Library is one of the most exciting parts of this humongous library that boasts around 17,000 titles, ranging from board books to interactive books and stories in both Arabic and English. The books are displayed at a lower eye level for easy access for children. The sensory pod in the information centre section is another attraction of the library. Completely enclosed with a sliding door, this pod has AC, a bed and a screen inside. Located outside the library, the colourful display of more than 60 quotes from Sheikh Mohammed reflects the true multiculturalism of the UAE at the Garden of Quotes. Instrumental in lighting this iconic structure, Elettrico has also made sure that the library is beautifully shining during the night to showcase its finesse architecture even in the dark, which is a design mix of culture and modernity and the lighting supplied goes with the theme and had to be sustainable. Besides, Al-Futtaim Engineering and Technologies is part of this stellar project as it collaborates with MBRL to provide best-in-class facilities management services.
Illuminating the Path to Success Instrumental in lighting up the newly launched Mohammed Bin Rashid Library, the Dubai-based supplier has world-class projects under its banner
E
lettrico is a lighting supplier company that is focused on always looking to the future. That is why, the company has been selected to provide lighting for the Mohammed Bin Rashid Library, which is a design mix of culture and modernity and the lighting supplied goes with the theme and had to be sustainable. The company is a part of Master Lighting International Trading Group, PTC and Al Wafa Group, Jordan, which have been successfully and dynamically developing since 1972. Elettrico is one of the largest suppliers and distributors of lighting in Dubai and the UAE, with an impressive portfolio of huge-scale projects done in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain, Fujairah, Al Ain, as well as in Jordan and Palestine. Some of its previous projects include the Al Nasr Stadium in Dubai, Dubai Hills Business Park, Flua Lighting for Mulberry Dubai Hills and more. In partnership with Master Lighting International Trading, the company provides high-quality, efficient and reliable devices all around the GCC region. The company is engaged in retail and wholesale supplies, delivery, installation of modern lighting devices. Elettrico provides a wide variety of lighting including LED, modern chandeliers, fibre-optic, spots, pendant lamps, floodlights, façade lighting, exterior lights and lightings for smart homes.
Integrated Design Professionals The auditorium at MBRL has been designed with the best world-class technologies
M
ohammed Bin Rashid Library, inaugurated by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE
and Ruler of Dubai, is one of the prestigious projects of IDP Engineering Consultancy who left no stone unturned to make it an incredible place to visit. IDP is proud to be a part of the Dh1 billion MBRL in designing
In Excellent Hands Al-Futtaim Engineering and Technologies has exceeded expectations with its stellar performance to provide excellent facilities management services for the recently launched Mohammed Bin Rashid Library. Murali S. talks more in detail
O Omar Zaher Founder of IDP
the state-of-the-art auditorium with a capacity of 550 using latest trends in engineering and achieving the LEED Platinum criteria. Omar Zaher, Founder of IDP, said: “Our design team has been entrusted to deliver the highly important and challenging iconic projects globally. The MBRL auditorium is one of the feathers in our projects as an iconic piece of art using IDP design expertise.” IDP Engineering Consultancy, an award-winning international practice design company comprises a competent team having demonstrated history of 20plus years’ experience in GCC, MENA and South African region that is covered by its four offices in Dubai, Riyadh, Johannesburg and London. With rapidly growing global clientele, IDP is proud to offer its dexterous services of architecture, interior design, project management, sustainability and green buildings to renowned hotels, hospitals, airports, educational and mix-used developments with international renowned developers and operators. Omar Zaher, Principal at IDP Engineering Consultancy, added: “Our Design Methodology is integrated design process that covers social and environmental aspects of human lifestyles crossing generation.”
ne of the finest leading facilities management companies in the UAE, AlFuttaim Engineering and Technologies (AFET) serves as a single service partner to take care of all facility management (FM) requirements. In its latest, AFET collaborated with the iconic educational and cultural landmark — Mohammed Bin Rashid Library. Murali S., Managing Director, Al-Futtaim Engineering and Technologies (AFET), speaks about providing 360-degree solutions to the building industry through its proven expertise in FM services.
What was AFET’s vision in providing FM to such an important knowledge/educational establishment such as the Mohammed Bin Rashid Library? At AFET, we are passionate about understanding the needs of our customers and providing workable business solutions through effective design and implementation across various facilities and assets. We are proud to be associated with Mohammed Bin Rashid Library as it is a testament to the highquality work we provide our customers. What entails FM and how has AFET developed a sterling reputation over the years? With over 45 years of operations in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Qatar through our proven expertise, we provide air conditioning, building products, control and life safety, elevators and escalators, facility management, energy management, MEP, and scaffolding and access solution to the building industry. The technologies division provides complete business solutions to large, medium, and small businesses that include networking solutions, IP telephony, infrastructure, contact centre solutions, business applications, ELV systems, professional audio-visual solutions and managed services. We have a dedicated team who strives to deliver premium service and products. Our continued success and collaboration have led to and reserved Al-Futtaim Engineering and Technologies’ position among the top-ranking companies in the UAE. What are some of other notable projects for which AFET has provided solutions for FM? The facility management team at AFET has had the privilege to service various types of facilities such as malls, commercial towers, residential buildings
Murali S.
Managing Director Al-Futtaim Engineering and Technologies
At AFET, we are passionate about understanding the needs of our customers and providing workable business solutions through effective design and implementation across various facilities and assets. We are proud to be associated with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Library as it is a testament to the high-quality work we provide our customers. and villas complexes, infrastructure services and maintenance, industrial facilities and factories as well as Government buildings. Our expertise across these facilities has supported our ambition of being associated with Mohammed Bin Rashid Library by taking care of its specialised systems and the full building on a whole. What role does technology play in AFET’s dedication to providing cutting-edge facility management solutions for the library? Our facility management team is continually supporting Mohammed Bin Rashid Library to advance and upgrade the technology in the building with the latest state-of-the-art technology solutions. We utilise the expertise of our in-house digital transformation division to ensure efficiency and effectiveness. — anam@khaleejtimes.com