RIYADH: Culture Minister Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan Al-Saud has launched an initiative to develop public libraries under the management of the Libraries Authority. Through the initiative, the authority will seek to transform public libraries into platforms that bring together all forms of cultural creativity. The initiative was adopted following a field study conducted by the Libraries Authority to evaluate the situation of public libraries in the Kingdom. Based on the study, a plan was developed to establish 153 public libraries in all Saudi regions.