The King Fahad National Library opened in Riyadh’s Olaya neighborhood in AH 1409/1988 CE and operates as an independent entity linked to the Office of the Council of Ministers. Its mission is to collect, organize, catalog, and preserve intellectual works, promoting and sharing knowledge both locally and internationally. The library emphasizes works on Saudi Arabia, significant global contributions to knowledge, and the preservation of heritage through rare books, manuscripts, photographs, and documents, particularly those related to Arab and Islamic civilization. It plays a vital role in national cataloging, maintaining bibliographic databases, and providing reference and lending services to individuals, institutions, and governmental or private entities. The library also hosts book fairs, seminars, and conferences and represents Saudi Arabia in international forums. Additionally, it spearheads the advancement of libraries and information centers across the Kingdom.

Folios from a Qur’an manuscript (5:1—2)
with the beginning of the second manzil

This richly illuminated Qur’an manuscript is typical of examples produced in the Kashmir region during the 13th century AH/19th century CE. Along with standard textual divisions, such as single verse markers, chapter headings and sajdah markers, this copy includes illuminations marking quarter, half, three-quarter, and whole sections (ajza’), sevenths (manazil), and ruku‘ divisions. The marking of manazil divisions was popular in Kashmir, while the marking of ruku‘s is strongly associated with Qur’an manuscripts from South and Southeast Asia and was rarely included in examples from the central or western Islamic lands. This double page shows the opening of the second manzil, coinciding with the beginning of chapter Al-Ma’idah.