Meet the Maktabatee Crew

Marhaba! We’re Tuqa & Bushra, moms, sisters, and the founders of Maktabatee. When we’re not working our full time jobs in foreign policy and grant making in Washington, DC, we’re busy taking care of our four boys and working on all things Maktabatee. 

If you’re looking for high quality Arabic books and resources for your budding Arabic learner, you’ve landed in the right place. Welcome to the Maktabatee family! 

Our Mission

We empower you to build your child’s Arabic competency with high quality books and resources, so they can learn Arabic and maintain their religious and cultural identity. 

Our Story

Maktabatee, which means "my bookstore" or “my library” in Arabic, is a curated online boutique of Arabic children's books and goods. Based in the United States, Maktabatee serves the international community of Arabic loving parents and educators. 

Maktabatee is the result of combining our need for quality alternatives to dated Arabic children's books and a passion for giving our children only the very best. Established in 2016, we had a simple objective: to hand select high-quality, engaging, and relevant Arabic children’s books and make them accessible to parents (and aunts, uncles, and grandparents!) as well as educators who want to share the love of the Arabic language with kids.

As moms, we struggled to find Arabic books that appealed to our kids and could stand a chance next to the diversity and quality of English books our children loved. Frustrated with the lack of options that considered quality or relevance to the modern day American child, Maktabatee was born. Our promise is not to overwhelm you with hundreds of questionable products in stock. We want to take one load off your shoulders by providing you with a limited selection of quality books with modern graphics, interesting and relevant story lines, and age-appropriate reading levels.

But books aren’t enough! We believe in learning and loving the Arabic language through discovery, play, and interaction. We want to communicate the beauty of Arabic to our children through every possible realm in their environment--books, toys, decor, and more! As parents, we aim to provide you with a toolbox to bring the Arabic language to life in your home. We want to give your children the necessary tools to shape and build an enjoyable Arabic-infused environment, all from and in their very own, "Maktabatee".

We hope Maktabatee will be your go-to resource in helping your children feel and love the Arabic language as much as it deserves to be!