In the age of digital, thoughts of bricks-and-mortar libraries could easily conjure up images of old-fashioned, cramped and musty-smelling spaces filled with towering shelves sagging under the weight of an eclectic selection of books, as stern librarians ask noisy patrons to be quiet.
But the recently revamped Al Safa Art & Design Library, which originally opened in 1989, completely obliterates any such stereotypes with its stylish architecture and inviting, wide-open layout that's been designed to encourage visitors to sit, socialise and stay put.
When people come here they are always surprised by how different it looks to the other libraries. What they love are the open spaces and natural light that comes in
The reopening is part of an initiative launched in 2016 to refurbish the entire Dubai Public Library network, and the plan supports the UAE National Strategy for Reading. The Al Safa post is the pilot project, and now it serves as a benchmark for all public libraries in the emirate.
"This space is a test to see how the people will [respond], and if they will come and visit," says Eiman Al Hammadi, a specialist in the Public Libraries Department for Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, as she takes The National on a tour. It has been well received since it opened to the public in March, she says.
Khawla Rashid bin Fahd, chief officer for Dubai Public Libraries, who also joins us on the tour, adds: "When people come here they are always surprised by how different it looks to the other libraries. What they love are the open spaces and natural light that comes in."
It’s hard to miss the building as you drive along Al Wasl Road. It stands out as a stark grey beacon of modernity against an older, coral-coloured backdrop, with foliage and a flyover almost obscuring it from view. But its sharp, angular shape catches your eye, belying the tranquil haven of literature that lies within.
Beyond the floor-to-ceiling glass doors, a soon-to-open cafe sits tucked away to the left. A vast expanse of low-lying shelves with a selection of books in Arabic and English is ahead. You can read these at the space, but, unlike traditional libraries, you cannot take them home.
We spot big tomes about people as varied as Linda McCartney and Charlie Chaplin. These sit next to rarer books, such as a grey hardback with "Syria in photos" scrawled in handwriting along the spine. Some home in on the UAE, including Memories of Satwa and The Best of Dubai Shop Names, while others focus further afield, from Rome's art and architecture to the Ukrainian Academy of Art. There are titles focusing on fashion, opera and archaeology, as well as comics, coffee-table books and a narrative on Cubism.
Despite the focus on the arts, however, the team is also attempting to attract people from all walks of life and with all manner of interests. The back shelf has been reserved for a more generalist selection, including topics such as medicine and nature.
To the left of the books, an inviting reading area is set in an atrium-like space, with big windows and plenty of natural light flooding in. "Imagine what this will be like during the winter," Al Hammadi says as we pass through. Cool, calm and incredibly peaceful, we offer.
From there, we walk through to a lovely courtyard, which, come the end of the year, will be used for various activities such as poetry recitals and movie nights, says Al Hammadi, who previously worked at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature as the competitions and Arabic education relationships manager.
Towards the back of the building, there is an area for creative folk to host their own workshops for a small fee, and this sits next to a gallery where artists are invited to hold exhibitions. Next to this, there is a set of new computers still in their plastic wrappers, sitting on top of a long, large desk – just waiting for library members to come and work there.
Then there’s the children’s area, with its own library, “media room” and a small cinema space. Hundreds of children’s book in Arabic, English and even Braille line the shelves.
All over, ornaments and pieces of art stand out, including a painting by famed Emirati artist Abdul Qader Al Rais, as well as an exhibition of stunning images from the Hamdan International Photography Award.
It really is a place where art, design and literature intersect.
This is merely the beginning, as the team continues to work on the refurbishment of Dubai's eight other libraries. These – or at least some – will be finished in time for Expo 2020, we are told. The aim, after all, is for each of these branches to become a tourist destination in itself, Al Hammadi says. And while Al Safa's might be focused on art and design, others will have a different remit. For example, Deira's Al Ras Public Library, which originally opened in 1963 and is in a historical area, has many rare books as part of its collection and will be more of a museum library. Another branch at the Etihad Museum will focus on the history of the UAE.
Opportunities for the public to work with the team will be available soon, too. "We have a plan to open a new platform for volunteering," Al Hammadi says. "There's plenty you can do. You can look after books, look after the memberships. We have plenty of workshops and events – and we need manpower." This, she says, is open to anyone and everyone.
"This is not just a place to come and read," says Rashid bin Fahd. "It's more of a hub, more of a community centre, where you can come and socialise with people like you and even make things."
Most importantly, it’s about reconnecting with words and literature in an engaging and meaningful way. Any stuffy library stereotypes have been sufficiently shattered.
Library memberships cost Dh75 for children (one-off payment until the child turns 12), Dh220 for single adults (five years) and Dh270 for a family (five years). Visit dubaiculture.gov.ae
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands
The Greatest Royal Rumble card as it stands
50-man Royal Rumble - names entered so far include Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Kane, Chris Jericho, The New Day and Elias
Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
WWE World Heavyweight ChampionshipAJ Styles (champion) v Shinsuke Nakamura
Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
United States Championship Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal
SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos
Raw Tag Team Championship (currently vacant) Cesaro and Sheamus v Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt
Casket match The Undertaker v Chris Jericho
Singles match John Cena v Triple H
Cruiserweight Championship Cedric Alexander v tba
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ahmed Raza
UAE cricket captain
Age: 31
Born: Sharjah
Role: Left-arm spinner
One-day internationals: 31 matches, 35 wickets, average 31.4, economy rate 3.95
T20 internationals: 41 matches, 29 wickets, average 30.3, economy rate 6.28
Grand slam winners since July 2003
Who has won major titles since Wimbledon 2003 when Roger Federer won his first grand slam
Roger Federer 19 (8 Wimbledon, 5 Australian Open, 5 US Open, 1 French Open)
Rafael Nadal 16 (10 French Open, 3 US Open, 2 Wimbledon, 1 Australian Open)
Novak Djokovic 12 (6 Australian Open, 3 Wimbledon, 2 US Open, 1 French Open)
Andy Murray 3 (2 Wimbledon, 1 US Open)
Stan Wawrinka 3 (1 Australian Open, 1 French Open, 1 US Open)
Andy Roddick 1 (1 US Open)
Gaston Gaudio 1 (1 French Open)
Marat Safin 1 (1 Australian Open)
Juan Martin del Potro 1 (1 US Open)
Marin Cilic 1 (1 US Open)
TOUR RESULTS AND FIXTURES
June 3: NZ Provincial Barbarians 7 Lions 13
June 7: Blues 22 Lions 16
June 10: Crusaders 3 Lions 12
June 13: Highlanders 23 Lions 22
June 17: Maori All Blacks 10 Lions 32
June 20: Chiefs 6 Lions 34
June 24: New Zealand 30 Lions 15 (First Test)
June 27: Hurricanes 31 Lions 31
July 1: New Zealand 21 Lions 24 (Second Test)
July 8: New Zealand v Lions (Third Test) - kick-off 11.30am (UAE)
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
THREE
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House-hunting
Top 10 locations for inquiries from US house hunters, according to Rightmove
- Edinburgh, Scotland
- Westminster, London
- Camden, London
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Islington, London
- Kensington and Chelsea, London
- Highlands, Scotland
- Argyll and Bute, Scotland
- Fife, Scotland
- Tower Hamlets, London
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
Slow loris biog
From: Lonely Loris is a Sunda slow loris, one of nine species of the animal native to Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore
Status: Critically endangered, and listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list due to growing demand in the global exotic pet trade. It is one of the most popular primate species found at Indonesian pet markets
Likes: Sleeping, which they do for up to 18 hours a day. When they are awake, they like to eat fruit, insects, small birds and reptiles and some types of vegetation
Dislikes: Sunlight. Being a nocturnal animal, the slow loris wakes around sunset and is active throughout the night
Superpowers: His dangerous elbows. The slow loris’s doe eyes may make it look cute, but it is also deadly. The only known venomous primate, it hisses and clasps its paws and can produce a venom from its elbow that can cause anaphylactic shock and even death in humans
