King Abdulaziz Public Library Preserves Over 32,000 Rare Titles

   Riyadh, October 31, 2026, SPA -- The King Abdulaziz Public Library houses more than 32,625 rare titles of significant scholarly, cultural, historical, and literary value, making them available to researchers and interested readers as part of its ongoing efforts to preserve Arab printed heritage.
   Its collection includes early European editions, among them 78 books on the Prophetic biography, 113 on the meanings of the Holy Quran translated into European languages, 55 on Quranic studies, and 54 on Islamic sources. The library also houses 8,271 rare Arabic titles, all catalogued, classified, and indexed in a database to facilitate access.
   The library preserves several special collections, among them that of American Orientalist George Rentz, which comprises rare books, manuscripts, maps, and documents, along with approximately 3,265 foreign-language works. Another notable one belonged to Hamza Boubakeur, former head of the Islamic Institute and imam of the Grand Mosque of Paris. It contains 17,170 titles spanning 19,821 volumes in various languages.
   These collections cover a wide range of subjects, including Islamic religious sciences, literature, travelogues, and accounts of different regions and their heritage, with a particular focus on Saudi Arabia, the Arabian Gulf, and the broader Islamic world. They provide valuable resources for cultural and historical research.
   -- SPA