By Irfan Mohammed / Arab news / 24 Dec 2013

Book lovers in Jeddah have reason to celebrate because one of the largest libraries in the region is set to open soon in the city.

Fulfilling a longstanding demand of Jeddah residents, Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, the new education minister, will open the facility on Jan. 1.

The new library is adjacent to King Abdulaziz University and built over an area of 17,000 square meters. The university will manage the facility and its 80,000 books and reference material.

KAU President Osama Tayyeb said the library was part of the legacy of Prince Khaled as governor of Makkah Province. It would be a “cultural and intellectual landmark” in the region, he said.

Shara Bulgaimi, a professor at KAU, said the building would consist of four floors for children, women and men.

The library in the port city will be named after King Fahad. Riyadh has the King Fahad National Library, which has over a million books and storage capacity for 2.4 million books. Jeddah’s previous library closed down for administrative and financial reasons.