Dubai plans to build the biggest library in the Arab world, designed in the shape of an open book on a Arabic lectern, at a cost of Dh1 billion ($272 million), reported the state news agency Wam.

The 1-million-sq-ft Mohammed bin Rashid Library, to be built in Al Jaddaf area of Dubai, will house more than 4.5 million books and include several areas for interaction, events, educational facilities and cultural festivals.

The seven-storey library is based on six pillars. These include the main library, which includes eight specialised libraries: for children, youth, family, business, Arabic, international, popular and multimedia. The facility will also be a museum of the Arab heritage and the history of human civilisation as well as a venue for arts and literary exhibitions, and heritage preservation initiatives.

Scheduled to open in 2017, it will also boast a 500-seat theatre for lectures and seminars and serve as a platform for hosting and launching the most significant intellectual and cultural initiatives regionally and globally.