For families who want to swap screens for stories, Dubai’s public libraries offer far more than shelves of books. Run by Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, the Dubai Public Libraries network gives children a calm, free-or-low-cost place to read, join story times, and meet other young book lovers across the city.
Getting a Library Card for Your Child
Membership for Dubai Public Libraries is open to residents, including children, and you can typically start the application through the Dubai Culture website or in person at a branch. You will usually need your Emirates ID, and for a child, a parent or guardian’s ID as well. Fees and deposit requirements are modest but do change, so treat any figure you see online as approximate and confirm the current cost on the official Dubai Culture site before you go.
Once registered, a child can borrow books in English, Arabic, and other languages, depending on the branch. Loan periods and the number of items allowed are typically a few weeks and a small stack at a time, which works well for picture books that get read ten times and then swapped. If your child loses or damages a book, expect a replacement charge — another detail to check at the desk when you join.
Branches Worth Knowing
The flagship is the Mohammed Bin Rashid Library in Al Jaddaf, a striking book-shaped building on Dubai Creek with a dedicated children’s library and regular family programming. Check its own membership rules on its website separately.
Neighbourhood branches in the Dubai Public Libraries network include Al Safa, Hatta, Umm Suqeim, Al Rashidiya, Hor Al Anz, Al Mankhool, and Al Twar. Each has a children’s section, though the size varies. For most families, the best branch is simply the closest one — a library your child visits weekly beats a grand one visited twice a year.
Story Times and Children’s Activities
During term time and especially in school holidays, branches run story times, reading circles, craft sessions, and summer reading challenges, often in both Arabic and English. Sessions for toddlers tend to be short, noisy, and welcoming, while older children get book discussions, creative writing, and themed workshops.
Places can fill up, and schedules change with the school calendar, Ramadan timings, and public holidays. The practical routine is:
- Check the Dubai Culture and branch social media pages at the start of each month for the children’s calendar
- Arrive early for story time, as seating is often first come, first served
- Bring your child’s library card, as some activities are for members only
- Ask staff about age guidance — a session pitched at seven-year-olds can overwhelm a three-year-old
- Look out for the annual summer reading programmes, which usually reward children for finishing a set number of books
Reading Groups and Beyond the Public System
For children who want to talk about books, not just borrow them, ask at your local branch about reading groups and book clubs by age. Where a formal group is not running, librarians will often connect families informally, and many parents start a small group through their school or community.
Private options complement the public libraries well. Bookshops such as Kinokuniya in Dubai Mall and Magrudy’s run children’s story sessions and author events from time to time. School libraries also matter: many Dubai schools open their reading lists and holiday challenges to families, and following your school’s recommended titles alongside library borrowing keeps variety without buying every book.
If your child reads in another home language, ask librarians about inter-branch requests, and check community cultural centres for small collections.
Making Library Visits a Habit
The families who get most from a library card build a rhythm: same day each week, a bag just for library books, and five minutes at home to note return dates so fines and frantic searches stay rare. Let your child choose most of their own books, even the ones you find baffling — ownership of the choice is what turns borrowing into a reading habit. Add a small treat nearby, a karak tea or a park visit, and the library becomes part of the weekend rather than a chore.
Start with one visit this week. Bring your Emirates IDs, check current membership details on the Dubai Culture website, and let your child leave with a stack they picked themselves.
