A new book collection on Saudi Arabia was launched at the Central Public Library (CPL) in Singapore on Friday, marking the World Day of the Arabic Language.
According to a source at the Singapore Embassy here, the event was inaugurated by Abdullah Saleh Alwashmi, secretary-general of the King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz International Center for Arabic Language (KAICAL), and Elaine Ng, CEO of the Singapore National Library Board (NLB).
It was attended by Saudi Ambassador to Singapore Mansour Al Mazmomy and Yaacob Ibrahim, minister-in-charge of Muslim affairs and minister for communications and information.
“The opening of the Saudi book collection at the Central Public Library in Singapore is a sign of the growing interest of Singaporeans in the Middle East, especially Saudi Arabia. It is a mark of the growing cultural exchange between our two countries,” said Singapore Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Lawrence Anderson.
He said that Singaporeans can now discover more about Saudi Arabia through the literary collection donated by the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission (SACM).
Available at the CPL, housed in the National Library Building, the collection includes over 200 fiction and non-fiction books on Saudi Arabia’s arts, culture, history, music, customs and traditions.
The donation was the result of a memorandum of understanding signed between the NLB of Singapore and the SACM last year to promote cross-cultural understanding and foster closer ties.
The titles in the collection include “The Saudi Artist Today” by Abdulaziz Ashour featuring the works of 18 Saudi artists of the 1990s who represent the new art wave.
“The Handicrafts of Saudi Arabia” by Abdulla Al-Akeel captures the vanishing trade through captivating photographs. The collection also includes fiction titles by children’s author and illustrator Halla bint Khalid.
At the launch, library visitors tried their hands in Arabic calligraphy and learned about the antecedents of the Arabic language and culture at four public talks. In the coming months, the public can look forward to an interesting line-up of programs and exhibitions on the rich tradition and heritage of Saudi Arabia.
The NLB of Singapore, through its network of 25 public libraries, promotes reading, learning and literacy. The libraries also encourage appreciation and awareness of Singapore’s history through their wide range of programs and collection on Singapore and regional content.
Singapore shows interest in Saudi culture
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