Written by Mathias Ghyoot (2025)

INtroduction

The King Fahad National Library (KFNL) is one of several public libraries in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Established in 1983, KFNL sports an impressive collection of rare books, periodicals, private archives, documents, manuscripts, and newly printed books broadly related to the history of Saudi Arabia as well as the wider Muslim world.

KFNL is open Sunday through Thursday from 8am to 10pm, including the Main Reading Room. However, all other departments, such as the Magazine Room, the Newspaper Room, and Special Collections, are open from 8am to 3pm.

Location: Google Maps

GOING THERE

KFNL is centrally located in the upscale neighborhood of al-Olaya in Riyadh. To go there, either grab a taxi or take the recently opened Blue Metro Line to the King Fahad National Library Station.

GETTING IN

KFNL is open to the public and registration and prior permission is not required for most things (see below); simply enter through the lobby and head to the third floor via the escalator or elevator where you’ll find the Main Reading Room.

For magazines, head straight ahead through the lobby and take a right turn down the hallway to the Magazine Room. For newspapers, also head straight ahead through the lobby, but take the elevator to the first floor and enter the “Book Storage” inside of which where you’ll find the Newspaper Room.

For documents and manuscripts, you’ll need to go to Special Collections, which is located on the ground floor (through the lobby and to the left), not far from the Magazine Room.

Finding your material

KFNL has a useful and detailed online catalog that you can access either from home or from one of the many computers located onsite in the Main Reading Room. As you shall use them later, note down the shelf mark numbers of your items, which is typically a four to five digit number followed by a couple of letters in Arabic. Beware that some books are catalogued (and stored) in private libraries of notable shaykhs or intellectuals (e.g., Shaykh Muhammad b. Mani’, Abd Allah b. Khamis, or R. Bayly Winder). These books will instead be located in the Manuscript Department and access to them will require permission from the director of the Manuscript Department.

As for magazines and newspapers, not all of them have been catalogued, ask the librarians in the Magazine Room or Newspaper Room to see the physical periodicals catalogue of the KFNL.

As for manuscripts and documents, these are typically also catalogued as “Makhtutat” or “Watha’iq.” However, in order for you to know the full scope of the collection, it’s advisable to seek assistance from the staff in the Manuscript Department.

Ordering your material

As for newly printed books within the Main Reading Room, KFNL is characterized by self-service; everyone is allowed and encouraged to venture into the stacks to browse and select their books. While this form of self-service certainly eases access to the material, it also possess problems: books are often missing from the stacks or returned to their wrong places, meaning that items not always are where you expect them to be. Generally, books are arranged and color-coded by subject (travel literature, religious literature, political literature, and so forth), and it is recommended to look at the surrounding shelves if you could not find a book in your first attempt. Another solution is to ask one of the librarians; they’re either seated at central desks around the stacks or at the Information Desk.

Once you’ve located your material, feel free to bring it with you for perusal at one of the many tables in the Main Reading Room. As per the policy of the KFNL, you’re kindly asked not to return the books to the shelves yourself, but instead leave it on one of the tables.

As for the Magazine Room and the Newspaper Room, you’re also allowed to venture into the stacks; however, it’s advisable to first consult the librarians onsite before you do so. Generally, they’re quite knowledgeable about the collections, and beware that they also have material (especially older or rarer material) in storage that they, upon request, often will be more than happy to fetch for you for your own perusal at one of the many tables in either the Magazine Room and the Newspaper Room.

Accessing manuscripts requires prior permission from the director of the Manuscript Department.

Ordering scans

As for newly printed books, there seems to be no policy at the KFNL preventing taking photographs of the material with your own phone or camera. There are no scanners available in the Main Reading Room. However, if you want a photocopy, you can for a small fee request one from the Photocopy Department (Qism al-Taswir) located in the middle of the Main Reading Room right next to the Information Desk.

As with the printed books, there seems to be no official policy on whether you can photograph material in the Magazine Room and the Newspaper Room. However, it’s always advisable to ask first, and if in doubt, ask the librarian whether you can bring the material upstairs for an official reproduction at the Photocopy Department.

As for magazines and newspapers, there seems to be no official rule on whether you’re allowed to use your own camera. However, always ask permission first from the staff in the Magazine or Newspaper Rooms.

Things are more strict in the Manuscript Department. While you can request reproductions for a small fee (especially, if your manuscripts exist on microfilm), it’s advisable to consult the director of the Manuscript Department.

Food and well-being

There is a little cafe located in the lobby on the first floor which serves coffee, cold beverages, and light snacks. However, if you wish to eat a proper meal you can either head to the in-house (but quite expensive) Roma Restaurant or else take a short ten-minute walk to the food court inside Al Faisaliah Mall.

Additional remarks

KNFL is often hosting cultural or academic events, such as book talks, lectures, and exhibitions, and you’re encouraged to check out the event calendar on the KNFL website.