The Dubai Culture and Arts Authority has announced that Dubai's public libraries achieved exceptional results and notable visitor figures during 2025, attracting more than 670,000 visitors — a growth rate of approximately 25% compared with 2024, which recorded more than 534,000 visitors. The figures reflect growing community interest in reading, exploring the world of books, and benefiting from the knowledge services libraries offer.
According to the authority's reports, total adult visits exceeded 470,000, while children's visits surpassed 200,000 during the past year, compared with more than 160,000 in 2024 — confirming the libraries' success in drawing young people and strengthening their connection to reading and knowledge through programmes and events designed specifically for them.
Safa Library for Arts and Design topped the list of most-visited libraries during the past year, attracting around 168,000 visitors, underscoring its prominence as a leading cultural and creative destination in the emirate. Al Mankhool Library ranked second, receiving nearly 123,000 visitors, while Al Twar Public Library welcomed more than 109,000 visitors.
Dubai's public libraries also recorded notable growth in total book loans, registering more than 231,000 loans during the past year — a growth rate of 21.5% compared with 2024, which saw more than 190,000 loans.
Al Twar Public Library, which holds 77,975 books, topped the most-lending libraries list with around 55,000 loans during the past year. Al Rashidiya Public Library, which houses 83,156 books, ranked second with more than 39,000 loans during 2025, followed by Al Mankhool Public Library, which holds 74,239 books and recorded 38,758 loans during the same year.
These results affirm Dubai Culture's efforts to develop Dubai's public libraries and transform them into creative spaces hosting cultural and educational programmes aimed at broadening visitors' horizons and creating a knowledge-rich environment for creatives, researchers, and talented individuals of all ages.
Literary and cultural activities organised by the libraries under initiatives including 'Schools of Life', 'Reading Box', and 'Library Talk' have also drawn considerable public interest, reflecting the authority's commitment to encouraging community members to develop their cultural and life skills and to fostering continuous reading and learning.
Shaimaa Rashid Al Suwaidi, Executive Director of the Arts, Design and Literature sector at Dubai Culture, said the results achieved by Dubai's public libraries during 2025 reflect the success of Dubai's vision in transforming culture and knowledge into a force supporting creative and economic development pathways.
"Libraries form a fundamental pillar of Dubai's cultural ecosystem and an important contributor to the creative economy, serving as vital platforms for building awareness, broadening knowledge, and developing creativity across all segments of society. The notable growth in visitor numbers and loans confirms the growing presence of reading within the community and highlights the libraries' ability to keep pace with Dubai's aspirations to build cultured, creative generations equipped with the tools of the future."
"Dubai Culture is committed to continuing to elevate Dubai's public libraries and develop their diverse programmes and events, and to strengthening their role as knowledge and creative incubators and community spaces capable of connecting society with books, ideas, and the arts."
Dubai's public library network comprises 8 branches distributed across Dubai and houses more than 614,203 books, giving readers, researchers, and students access to a wide range of knowledge sources in both Arabic and English.
In recent years, the libraries have also undergone significant development in connectivity technologies and smart services, alongside dedicated halls for reading, study, and research, with the aim of providing an integrated knowledge environment that fosters learning and creativity.