Libraries Commission

The Libraries Commission is the entity concerned with activities related to public, private and non-profit libraries in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including their establishment, development, rehabilitation, and care of their services, possessions and basic equipment. Established in 2020, it stands as one of eleven cultural commissions whose simultaneous establishment was approved by the Council of Ministers. It operates under the Ministry of Culture.

The commission oversees the libraries sector, which is one of the oldest cultural sectors in the Kingdom, dating back to the era of the Founding King Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al Saud. The commission plays a crucial role in achieving the three strategic goals of the Ministry of Culture: culture as a way of life, culture for cultural growth, and culture to raise the Kingdom's international position.

In 2020, an initiative was launched by the Ministry of Culture, represented by the Libraries Commission, to develop public libraries based on a field study on the current status of public libraries in the Kingdom. According to the study's results, the Libraries Commission prepared a development plan extending up to 2030, during which it aims to establish 153 public libraries across the Kingdom. These libraries will be based on the same comprehensive concept that combines the cognitive roles of public libraries and the cultural roles of cultural agencies.

According to the new concept, public libraries will involve several main components, including: a public library for book and knowledge seekers, multi-purpose halls, training rooms to host various workshops, open areas for reading, and public facilities that enable an integrated cultural experience though public libraries.

The Libraries Commission enjoys a public legal personality, financial and administrative independence, and an annual operating budget within the Ministry of Culture's own budget. It is organizationally affiliated with the Minister of Culture, and the commission's employees are subject to the Social Insurance Law and Labor Law.

The commission runs its activities from its headquarters in the capital, Riyadh. It is comprised of a Board of Directors chaired by the Minister of Culture, who supervises the commission’s management and its affairs, and makes all necessary decisions to achieve its objectives. The commission's CEO, who is appointed by the Board of Directors, manages the commission’s affairs.

The logo of the Libraries Commission consists of book icons. The colors of the logo reflect the creative space of Saudi innovators. It is inspired by the colors and logo of the Ministry of Culture.

As stipulated in its organizational arrangements, the commission carries out various tasks, most notably: encouraging individuals, institutions and companies to produce and develop content in the libraries sector, creating a database for the sector, organizing events and competitions, holding local and international exhibitions and conferences, in addition to licensing activities within the commission's scope of work.

The commission provides scholarships for the talented and employs modern technologies to implement its initiatives and executive programs. Moreover, it adopts vocational training programs and leverages certification bodies specialized in training in areas related to its competencies. In 2020, the Ministry of Culture supported this initiative by launching a unified electronic platform for cross-cultural scholarships for the first time in the history of the Kingdom. The commission seeks to develop the libraries sector, promote its components, and support and encourage its practitioners.