The University of Sarajevo Library Construction Progress Assessment

Prime Minister of the Sarajevo Canton, Nihad Uk, and the University of Sarajevo Rector, Prof. Dr. Tarik Zaimović, along with colleagues, hosted a high-level delegation from the Saudi Development Fund, headed by Executive Director Sultan Al-Marshad, with whom they visited the construction site of the University of Sarajevo Library.

The project for the construction and equipping of the Library, thanks to a grant from the Saudi Fund, is the largest post-war investment in university infrastructure. Its realization will make the University of Sarajevo the owner of a building that, besides its undeniable social and cultural significance, will also be remembered as a symbolic mark of the friendly relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

“Unfortunately, we have waited too long for the realization of this important project. Although our friends from Saudi Arabia gave the green light and supported it long ago, administrative obstacles and a lack of decisiveness to move forward with its implementation caused years of delays. Thanks to joint efforts and the determination of the current administration, we are now proudly witnessing daily progress on the works. I can say that this is one of the most significant investments not only for Sarajevo but for the entire Bosnia and Herzegovina. The library will soon be a space of benefit for students from all parts of BiH, as well as an increasing number of young people from the region studying in Sarajevo. I am especially pleased that today with us is the Director of the Saudi Development Fund, which strongly confirms that we are on the right track,” stated Prime Minister Uk.

He added that there is also interest today in future cooperation, especially in the context of the master plan for the development of the university campus. As Prime Minister Uk noted, this library is just the first segment of a large project, and future meetings will discuss possibilities for jointly realizing other strategically important projects for Canton Sarajevo.

The Executive Director of the Saudi Development Fund, Sultan Al-Marshad, expressed satisfaction with the progress observed during today’s site visit.

“I am very pleased with the works,” he said, inspiring hope that the relations among partners on this project—and in the future—will remain at a top level, as they have been so far.

Rector Zaimović expressed satisfaction with the current progress of the University of Sarajevo Library construction project.

“We would all like the pace of work to be faster. However, the complexity of such infrastructural endeavors, along with all the administrative and systemic challenges in BiH, requires additional patience and understanding. This is the most important infrastructural project for the University of Sarajevo in recent decades. The library will not only be a space for books but also a center for gathering, learning, and scientific research, a place that will further strengthen the academic community,” said Rector Zaimović.

He particularly emphasized that the University of Sarajevo studies a large number of students who are not from Sarajevo, which speaks to its national importance. With such projects, he added, young people are provided with the space they deserve. “The library is the first project in the overall campus development, and I hope that with its completion, we will also open the door for the realization of other planned facilities on the campus,” concluded Rector Zaimović.

Representatives of other institutions involved in this large project also attended today’s site visit.