Riyadh:The King Abdulaziz Public Library has translated over 100 books on Saudi Arabian history, as well as Arab and Islamic culture, from a variety of international languages into Arabic. This includes works by Orientalists and travel writers. The library has also enhanced its translation efforts by acquiring 640 rare books, some dating back to the early 19th century, translated from various languages.
According to Saudi Press Agency, in celebration of International Translation Day on September 30, a library report highlighted some of its rare and significant books across fields such as science, arts, literature, and general culture.
In the past decade, the library has focused on reciprocal translations between Arabic and Chinese, spurred by the establishment of a branch at Peking University in China. This initiative has led to a substantial collection of Arabic literature and scientific works being translated into Chinese, and vice versa.
Furthering its commitment to translation, the library established the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Award for Translation in 2006. This award, which has seen participation from over 70 countries, has evaluated 1,726 works in 45 languages across its 11 editions. It has involved 516 judges and recognized 132 translators and cultural entities.
The library's extensive collection includes 30,781 books on translation from various viewpoints, along with numerous books translated into Arabic from languages such as English, French, German, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, Chinese, and Hindi.
Recently, the library was honored with the Excellence Award in Publishing (Children's Books Category) at the Riyadh International Book Fair Awards 2025. This accolade acknowledges its initiatives in publishing and translating children's literature, promoting cross-cultural communication, and showcasing global children's stories as part of its cultural translation endeavors.