Oman Library at Middle East Institute in Washington reopens
The Oman Library at the Middle East Institute (MEI) in Washington was reopened in a ceremony held under the patronage of Musa Hamdan Altai, Oman’s Ambassador to the United States of America.
The Oman Library is the largest English language collection of literature on the Middle East in Washington D.C., outside the Library of Congress. It is funded by the Sultanate of Oman.
Speaking at the ceremony, Ambassador Altai thanked the Middle East Institute for hosting the Oman Library. He touched on the historical relations linking Oman with the USA and spoke of the fruitful cooperation between the two countries in all fields.
Paul Salem, President and CEO of the MEI also delivered a speech in which he thanked the Government of the Sultanate of Oman for its continuing support for the Institute's programmes and activities in Washington, praising the good relations that link the Institute with the Omani Embassy and institutions in Muscat.
The ceremony was attended by the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Arabian Peninsula Affairs and other government officials, as well as officials from various American institutions, Ambassadors and diplomats from Washington embassies and people interested in political and cultural affairs.
The Oman Library is a centre for the study of and research about the Middle East. It was granted to the Middle East Institute by the Sultanate of Oman. It contains a large number of Omani books in Arabic and English. It works in cooperation with the Sultan Qaboos Centre for Culture in Washington on Omani books and publications.
The Middle East Institute in Washington, founded in 1946, is the oldest institution devoted solely to the study of the Middle East in Washington. It is a non-partisan think tank providing expert policy analysis, educational and professional development services, and a hub for interaction with arts and culture in the region.
The Oman Library seeks to support MEI's Mission to “increase knowledge of the Middle East among citizens of the United States and to promote better understanding between the people of these two areas,” by facilitating research and information sharing on all aspects of the broader Middle East region.
The library houses more 20,000 books and periodicals devoted to the Middle East. Readers will find materials in English as well as regional languages such as Arabic, Hebrew, Turkish and Persian. Represented topics include culture, history, languages, literature, and politics of the Middle East, Islamic lands, and relevant regions.
Those who would like to see what the Oman Library can offer digitally, may view the Resource Guides and the Online Catalogue.
This is an unofficial English translation of the original Arabic text. To view the official Arabic text, click here.