Poland in Saudi Arabia

From 19 to 21 January 2026, a delegation of the National Library of the Republic of Poland visited Riyadh, headed by Dr. Tomasz Artur Makowski, Director General of the National Library of Poland and Chair of the Conference of Directors of National Libraries (CDNL).
The delegation also included:

• Mr. Dominik Cieszkowski, Deputy Director of the National Library of Poland,
• Phd. Maciej Jan Szablewski, Director’s Representative for International Affairs and Head of the Reading Rooms and Users Service Department of the National Library of Poland.

The central element of the visit was the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the National Library of Poland and the King Fahd National Library. The agreement establishes a framework for institutional cooperation in areas such as professional experience exchange, research projects, digitization of cultural heritage, collection development, and expert collaboration.
The signed memorandum represents the first agreement of its kind concluded by the King Fahd National Library with an institution from Poland, and also the first agreement with a partner from Central and Eastern Europe, giving it particular significance for the development of cultural and scientific dialogue between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Poland.
The visit of the National Library of Poland delegation is part of broader efforts to strengthen cultural and scientific cooperation between Poland and Saudi Arabia, as well as to promote Polish cultural institutions and national heritage on the Arabian Peninsula.
The Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to Saudi Arabia, Mr. Robert Rostek, accompanied the delegation during meetings and the signing ceremony.