Ithra E-book Bonanza
Download free digital books from the Ithra Library whenever you want
30,000 English and Arabic e-books available at the touch of a finger through the center’s significant catalog.
Avid readers are being encouraged to download free digital books from the Ithra Library. The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, based in Dhahran, has a collection of more than 30,000 English and Arabic e-books and audiobooks that can be accessed online.
The service is free for anyone to use — including those based outside of the Kingdom — with people only needing to complete a short registration form before browsing the library’s vast catalog. There are thousands of titles to choose from spanning 117 different subjects, from classic literature to nonfiction to fantasy.
Popular titles include Stephen King’s latest novel Fairy Tale, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and Frank Herbert’s science fiction epic Dune — which has been turned into a hit movie starring Timothée Chalamet. There is also a wide selection for children and teenagers, with fairytale favorites and childhood classics available to read.
Readers are also being urged to check the digital library frequently as new titles are being added on a regular basis.
“Free access to the Ithra Digital Library is available 24/7, direct from your mobile device,” said Manar H. Aldhwila, Unit head of the Ithra Library.
“Registered users can borrow from over 30,000 books, covering a wide range of subject areas, including biographies, science fiction, self-help, and much more. E-books and audiobooks are available in both Arabic and English, and new titles are being added all the time.”
How to download free books from the Ithra Library
To use the service, all readers have to do is register online, where they will be asked for their name, date of birth, email address, and a mobile phone number.
An email will be sent to the user saying that their digital membership has been activated. The message will also contain a membership card number, which will be the same as the phone number that was provided in the registration.
Users will then need to download the app Libby, by OverDrive, which can be found on the Google Play Store or App Store.
In the app, readers will be prompted to add their library, which is Ithra. The card number will be the phone number provided in the registration process, including the country code. Once the reader has added their virtual library card, they will be able to browse through Ithra Library’s collection of thousands of books.
Users can download up to five books to a device at any time. Any book will stay on the device for 14 days, after which it will automatically return to the virtual library. However, there is the possibility of extending the loan for an additional 14 days or returning the book early.