Rabat, Morocco – The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in partnership with Oman, inaugurated the Sultan Qaboos Library at its headquarters in Rabat, Morocco, last week.

The library honours the legacy of the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said, whose commitment to knowledge, culture and civilisational dialogue defined much of Oman’s modern identity.

Speaking at the inauguration, Dr Salim M Al Malik, Director-General of ICESCO, said libraries are civilisational landmarks and repositories of humanity’s intellectual wealth. He drew a line from Islam’s first revealed word – read – to the House of Wisdom in Baghdad, which served for centuries as a centre for research, translation and scholarship, framing the new library within that enduring tradition.

“ICESCO is inaugurating a library bearing the name of an exceptional leader known for his devotion to knowledge and culture,” Al Malik said, describing the library as the organisation’s gift to the Islamic world at a time when the status of the book has declined. He expressed gratitude to the leadership and government of Oman for their partnership in the initiative.

H E Khalid Salim Bamakhalif, Oman’s Ambassador to Morocco, said the library sends a clear message that knowledge remains the strongest bond among peoples and that investment in culture is investment in the future of humanity. He described the relationship between ICESCO and Oman as a model of cooperation in support of cultural and scientific advancement across the Islamic world.

The library provides a reading and research space equipped with the latest technological and interactive devices. In its first phase, it holds more than 6,000 print titles alongside a digital extension offering nearly 200,000 works through ICESCO’s digital platform.

Among its most significant holdings is a rare copy of the Holy Quran transcribed in the hand of Ibn Al Bawwab, one of the most celebrated calligraphers in Islamic history.

Mahmoud bin Abdullah Al Abri, Secretary of Oman’s National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, said naming the library after Sultan Qaboos has profound meaning. “It embodies the intellectual and cultural stature of the late sultan and reflects his commitment to spreading science and knowledge,” he said.

Al Abri added that the library consolidates Oman’s presence in international organisations and affirms its role in supporting cultural dialogue. “This library is more than a cultural project – it is a living embodiment of an Omani vision that believes knowledge is the highest path to bringing peoples together, and that culture is capable of building sustainable bridges,” he said.