The King Abdulaziz Public Library inaugurated this evening the children’s library character Maknoon, in the presence of His Excellency the General Supervisor of the King Abdulaziz Public Library, Mr. Faisal bin Abdulrahman bin Muammar. The launch took place as part of the library’s participation in the 2025 Riyadh International Book Fair, currently being held at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University under the slogan Riyadh Reads. The library is showcasing its latest literary, scientific, and cultural publications issued as part of its scientific publishing program, in addition to collections of Arabic and translated children’s stories.

The launch of Maknoon, the library’s first fictional character for children’s libraries, introduces a wise and adventurous creature born from the pages of books and raised among worlds of imagination and creativity. Maknoon serves as a guardian of stories and an inventor of imagination, guiding children on their journey where words meet images and knowledge meets wonder.

Maknoon’s design features artistic details inspired by the Kingdom’s rich heritage, including Al-Qatt Al-Asiri, Sadu weaving, the roshan, and Najdi doors. These elements reflect the beauty of Saudi identity through a contemporary spirit that blends authenticity with creativity and represents the Kingdom both locally and internationally.

The library’s pavilion at the fair features several initiatives, most notably the Saudi-Chinese Cultural Year 2025 initiative, through which the library is displaying a collection of publications translated into and from Chinese. The initiative aims to attract visitors from the People’s Republic of China and those interested in Chinese language studies, in addition to providing information about the library’s branch at Peking University in the People’s Republic of China.

At the fair, the library is showcasing a number of books, including On the Footsteps of Al-Mutanabbi by Dr. Abdulaziz bin Nasser Al-Manea, and Saudi Business Law: Laws and Regulations in Practical Application – Saudi Courts and Judicial Committees by Frank Vogel. The library is also presenting more than seventeen children’s publications translated into Chinese and from Chinese into Arabic, including The New China in the New Century by Zhang Wei, translated by Dr. Fayza Saeed Kab, first edition, 1446 AH / 2025 AD.

The library’s pavilion also offers a historical visual perspective through a collection of rare photographs documenting handicrafts in various regions of the Kingdom. This forms part of the activation of Handicrafts Year 2025, launched by the Ministry of Culture, with the aim of highlighting the Kingdom’s cultural diversity and the artistic and cultural values of handicrafts, while reinforcing their status as a component of national identity.

Through its various sections, the library’s pavilion provides information about the library’s projects and branches, along with interactive screens that allow visitors to explore the library’s website and its electronic and digital services. The pavilion welcomes visitors throughout the fair, from 11:00 a.m. until midnight.

Among the prominent books displayed by the library in Arabic and translated from and into international languages are Their Reading Experiences, second edition; Truffles in History, Medicine and Literature; Saudi Coffee; and Sadu Weaving Between the Past and Present. The collection also includes books published by the library on the history of the Kingdom and King Abdulaziz Al Saud, may he rest in peace, as well as books on horsemanship, date palms, journeys to the Kingdom, and the memoirs of Princess Alice.

The library is also showcasing a diverse selection of scientific and cultural books, including Photosynthesis and Respiration; Climate Change, edited by Katie Peeklin, Joey K. Ward, and Joey A. Y., and translated by Dr. Abdulrahman bin Abdullah Al-Atar and Dr. Islam Mohammed Abdelsalam; Coffee Culture: Local Experiences, Global Connections by Catherine M. Tucker, translated by Dr. Layla bint Abdulrahman Al-Akrash; Human Happiness with Horses by Elmar Schentzer, translated by Abdullah Mujeer Al-Omari; The Fall of the Wild by Ben A. Minter, translated by Dr. Abdulaziz bin Nasser Al-Oqaili; The Hemlock Cup by Bettany Hughes, translated by Dr. Mohammed Badawi; Northern Najd: A Journal of an Expedition on Camelback, translated by Atiya bin Karim Al-Dhafiri; and Folk Tales in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Arabic–English, translated by Dr. Hind bint Turki Al-Sudairi, among other books.

Since its establishment forty years ago, the King Abdulaziz Public Library has continued its efforts to enhance and develop its reading and research services, organize exhibitions and cultural events, actively participate in local and international book fairs, publish and translate books, and build bridges of cooperation with other cultures and civilizations.