As part of the research collaboration between the Bahrain Center for Strategic, International and Energy Studies (Derasat) and the Russian Institute of Oriental Studies—under the memorandum of understanding signed by both parties—a new academic study has been published highlighting the economic and social role of public libraries. The study recommends increasing investment in public libraries, viewing them as a low-cost, high-return tool that can help bridge development gaps in the Arab world and enhance the competitiveness of economies by developing human capital and strengthening the knowledge infrastructure of societies.