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On February 28, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Azerbaijan, Essam Bin Saleh Algetale, visited the National Library of Azerbaijan. The guests were received by the Director of the National Library of Azerbaijan, Professor Karim Tahirov.

The director spoke about the friendly and fraternal relations between the two countries. He emphasized that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is one of the largest countries in the Arab world, and establishing close ties with this country, as well as maintaining these relations in the field of libraries, is very important for Azerbaijan. He also mentioned the relations with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and highlighted that the city of Shusha, Azerbaijan’s cultural capital, had been declared the "Cultural Capital of the Islamic World" for 2024. Professor Tahirov explained that the National Library of Azerbaijan, with a collection of nearly 5 million books, is the largest and only National Library in the country and plays a central role in implementing state policy in the field of library work, while also serving as a methodological center for all libraries in the country. He further noted that in 2023, the National Library celebrated its 100th anniversary and exchanges books with more than 90 National Libraries worldwide. On the instructions of the esteemed President, a significant amount of material has been published in Arabic to promote Azerbaijan, including books about the great Azerbaijani poet Nizami Ganjavi, the current situation in Shusha, and the work of renowned Azerbaijani writer Mir Jalal Pashayev, “Romanticism in Literature”, which has been printed in four languages, including Arabic, and sent to all Arab-speaking countries. Establishing close relations with National Libraries in Arabic-speaking countries, including the National Library of Saudi Arabia, is a strategic matter, and the visit of the Ambassador will play an important role in fostering these connections.

Ambassador Essam bin Saleh Algetale congratulated the people of Azerbaijan on the upcoming Ramadan month and noted the high level of friendly and fraternal relations between Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia. He added that Saudi Arabia was one of the first countries to recognize and support Azerbaijan, and in return, Azerbaijan supports Saudi Arabia in all areas. Creating relations between the two countries in the field of culture is one of the important tasks ahead. The Ambassador expressed his pleasure at being at the National Library of Azerbaijan and emphasized that the purpose of his visit was to create a bridge between the King Fahd National Library of Saudi Arabia and the King Salman International Arabic Language Academy’s "Saudi Arabia Center". He also pointed out that there are currently six universities in Azerbaijan teaching Arabic, with about 250 students graduating annually, and these students could use the resources of the National Library of Azerbaijan. Additionally, he suggested that an Azerbaijani literature corner could be created at the King Fahd National Library of Saudi Arabia.

Professor Karim Tahirov mentioned that the National Library of Azerbaijan has signed Memoranda of Cooperation with libraries from 54 countries, including Arab-speaking nations. He also expressed the National Library’s readiness to sign a Memorandum of Cooperation with the King Fahd National Library of Saudi Arabia. He emphasized that creating literature corners in the National Libraries of both countries would strengthen bilateral relations and provide a significant impetus for studying literature, culture, and national values.

Afterward, the guests, after touring the National Library, expressed their appreciation for the library’s facilities and services.

At the end of the meeting, Professor Karim Tahirov presented the guests with several publications from the National Library, including the “National Library of Azerbaijan” photo album, the Arabic-language books “Shusha from the Summit”, “The Great Azerbaijani Poet Nizami Ganjavi”, and Mir Jalal Pashayev's "Romanticism in Literature", as well as a map of Azerbaijan. In return, Ambassador Essam bin Saleh Algetale gifted the library with Arabic-Azerbaijani dictionaries, a cultural guide to the Arabic language for non-Arabic speakers, and other books for the National Library's collection.