Confirming the UAE's leadership in planning for the fourth industrial revolution and in information security

The National Archives educates its cadres and audience about the fourth industrial revolution and computer protection methods



The National Archives organized two virtual scientific lectures: "The Fourth Industrial Revolution, and Artificial Intelligence Applications" and "Protecting Your Computer", which deal with computers and the Internet. The National Archives is interested in enriching its cadres with vast information in this regard believing that the rapid growth of the fourth industrial revolution requires equipping human resources with knowledge and skills to keep abreast of the developments. As to computer protection, the National Archives considers it a must since its computers are full of important documents and information both on the personal and work levels, and everyone must be attentive to the endless hacking attempts to which personal and institutional computers and accounts are exposed worldwide.

The first lecture "The Fourth Industrial Revolution and Artificial Intelligence Applications ", was delivered by Dr. Ibrahim Hamad Al-Hinai, advisor and faculty member of the Higher Colleges of Technology. He talked about the future state, which is a state with vision, flexibility, initiative and successful and sustainable proactive ability to anticipate and explore early future challenges and crises, and ways to address them, and to exploit future opportunities based on national visions, values and objectives. He reviewed the most important drivers and trends that will affect the future of the overall development plans for the next 50 years in the social, economic, environmental, political, technological and demographic fields.

The lecture focused on the "UAE Centennial 2071", which aims at making the UAE the best country in the world, so the wise leadership identified specific pillars for the government, education, economy and society. It shed light on each pillar separately, noting that the UAE is working to attain the best education and the best economy, and to establish the happiest society and the best government in the world.

He pointed out that the Corona crisis sped up the UAE's orientation toward a scientific and digital future, adding that the UAE of the 21st century is heading rapidly to digital and technical evolution.

DR. Al-Hinai reviewed the UAE's strategy for the fourth industrial revolution, the framework of which consists of six axes: future leadership, future productivity, future experience, future security, future human beings, and the foundations of the future.

He pointed out that, today, the UAE is launching strategic initiatives to activate artificial intelligence, including financial technology, to contribute to promoting economic growth and sustainable development.

He noted that each of the previous industrial revolutions was characterized by technical innovation, and that the fourth industrial revolution is characterized by advanced technical innovations such as genetic modification, artificial intelligence and machine learning, including data storage technology and money transfer methods.

In the second lecture, "Protecting your computer", Mr. Abdullah Al Zarouni of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority and   the Digital Government, confirmed the great interest shown by the UAE in building a secure information society. Then, he talked about information security, which deals with confidentiality, credibility and availability of information and cybersecurity, indicating the importance of information security.

Al-Zarouni spoke in detail about confidentiality, credibility and availability, and the importance of passwords to protect personal and work computers. Additionally, he pointed out some examples to highlight the importance of a password as a first line of defense against access to information.

He reviewed the most common passwords and provided examples of strong passwords and best practices.

He shed light on malicious software designed to access information, or damage computers without the owner's knowledge, adding that attackers use these programs to steal information, encrypt data and ask for money, destroy data, or manipulate victims for further attacks.

He shed light on the sources and signs of malware and virus infection to computers. It listed the most common types of malware, such as Ransomware, Virus, Worms, Trojans, and Spyware.

With the aim of spreading positive energy, fostering psychological health, and cheering employees up,

The National Archives organizes two workshops on Psychological Resilience and Quality of Life in Workplace Environment



The National Archives has organized two virtual training workshops on Psychological Resilience and Quality of Life in Work Environment, in collaboration with the Emirates Center for Happiness Research of the UAE University. The workshops aimed to maintain psychological health, foster quality of life in workplace environment, promote performance levels and improve efficiency. The NA strived to enrich its staff knowledge, thus enhancing the psychological health and embracing positivity.

The contents of the two workshops that were attended virtually by participants via interactive media, were in line with the NA’s interest in its staff who are considered its core wealth. The NA aims to spread positive energy in the working environment in support of development, teamwork, corporate loyalty and increasing job satisfaction.

The two lectures were delivered by Ms. Nouf Al Junaibi, Director of the Emirates Centre for Happiness Research. In the first lecture, she defined psychological resilience as the individual’s ability to successfully adapt with everyday tasks in the face of difficult situations.

Furthermore, she tackled some difficult situations and challenges and uncovered some reasons behind our need for psychological resilience such as the hard life, endless challenges, sudden challenges and the need to get away from depression.

The lecturer supported the workshop with some exercises that help to find solutions to some challenges. She also listed the types of resilience and its strength degrees and called for optimism and thinking of the present and future. She shared the audience with an exercise on the main methods to develop psychological resilience when dealing with the family and community members.

In the second lecture entitled “Quality of Life in the Workplace Environment”, Ms. Nouf Al Junaibi discussed the concept of quality of life and identified its importance as a modern concept. She revealed that quality of life in the workplace environments relies on the physical and mental health, ways of thinking in response to work challenges, communicating freely, etc.

The workshop presented a number of exercises and identified the difference between the positive and negative employees. It also pointed out some practices that create a better working environment such as determining priorities, selecting influential persons at work, etc.

It is worth mentioning that the abovementioned workshops have received great attention at the NA due to their significant impact on promoting quality-of-life concepts and practices and fostering psychological health in a way that cheers employees up and increases their productivity.

In confirmation of their valuable content and importance in presenting the historical dimension of the UAE,

The National Archives’ Publications Arrive at the Library of Congress

The US Library of Congress displays among its collections a number of the National Archives’ publications. The Library of Congress, which is the largest one worldwide shows an interest in the NA publications due to their valuable documented content on the situation of the emirates before and after the foundation of the Union and due to the attention, they received at Arab and foreign libraries from researchers and academic staff who are keen on the UAE history. It is worth mentioning that the NA publications provide precise documentation of the UAE civilizational and cultural legacy and the foundation of its federation, supported with photographs, maps and statistics.

The NA is proud of the fact that its publications have reached the shelves of the Library of Congress, the global cultural resource, as it is fully confident that these publications, which are increasingly available at Arab and international levels present to the world the historical dimension of the UAE. The NA strives to make both paper and electronic publications available in all cultural circles since their serious contents meet the needs of intellectuals, researchers and those who are interested in the UAE history and heritage.

With respect to the acquisition of the NA publications by the Library of Congress, H.E. Abdulla Majed Al Ali, NA Executive Director, said “The achievements of the NA’s publications with their significant contents encourage major libraries to acquire them. These publications meet the needs of knowledge seekers and researchers who study the history of the UAE and Gulf region because of their significant value and documented historical information. That is why researchers, specialists and those interested in the history of the region have been impressed by these publications. We are proud that the NA publications are available in the Library of Congress, which serves as a promotion for and a global testimonial to these publications”.

“The NA has variant publications as some are related to historical studies about the UAE and Arabia while others are related to archival sciences. The publications also come in various forms including encyclopedias, academic and school trips, chronicles of their Highnesses Sheikhs of the UAE, and aspects of the glorious biography of the Founding Father, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. They present areas of the civilizational and cultural legacy, which the UAE is known for in the modern history. What made these publications more attractive is their sophisticated design”, he added.

Visitors of the Library of Congress’ electronic catalogue (Catalog.loc.gov) can access to many of the NA’s publications, most notably: Zayed Chronicles (2003), Al ’Adeyat: A Comprehensive Arabic Encyclopedia of Horses (2005, Al Ma’moura: A Comprehensive Arabic Encyclopedia of Camels (2005), New Perspectives On Recording UAE History (2009, in Arabic and English), Black Gold and Frankincense: photographs of south Arabia taken by first explorers of oil (1947-1971) and it was issued in 2010 in Arabic and English), Memoirs of the Emirates: proceedings of the seminar convened by the National Centre for Documentation and Research (NCDR) in December 2010 (in Arabic and English), Zayed, Man Who Built a Nation (2013, in Arabic and English), The Chronicles of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan 1968-2010 (2012), Legal Settlement for the Emarati Iranian Dispute Regarding the Three Islands: an analytical and strategic study in accordance with historical documents and the international law provisions (2013), Third River: aspects of oil in the Middle East 1887-1979 (2014, in Arabic and English), Fifty Years in Al Ain Oasis: memories of Abdulhafeez Khan (2015, in Arabic and English), A Fateful Intrusion: The British India Steam Navigation Company in the Arabian Gulf 1862-1982 (2018, in Arabic and English), A Soldier in Arabia (2018), etc.

It is worth mentioning that while it strives to make its publication available, the NA tends to launch most of them electronically for easy access via smart phones and tablets.

Being rich in accurate information that are supported with historical photographs, maps and important statistics, the NA publications are also characterized by their beautiful design and high-quality output, which make them more appealing to readers.

The National Archives promotes professional safety in the working environment and considers it a necessity, not a luxury.

The National Archives, in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Waste Management Center (Tadweer), organized a remote lecture entitled Occupational Safety in the Working Environment, with the aim of spreading a culture of prevention and occupational safety,  maintaining a safe working environment,  promoting interest in applying the best and latest international practices that ensure safety, and continuing  to work hard to promote positive behavior at workplace.

The lecture was delivered by Younis Suhail Al Murshidi, environment, health and safety officer at Abu Dhabi Waste Management Centre. He began by emphasizing that professional safety measures are not a luxury, but rather a necessity by which all must abide to secure a safe working environment where no accidents occur to people, environment, property, or anything related to work procedures.

The lecturer highlighted many important topics, such as the difference between risk and danger, risk assessment and steps, identification, classification, common risks of occupational safety and health in the workplace, personal protective equipment, first aid, awareness and guidance, and reporting and recording accidents.   He also shed light on ergonomics and the reasons for taking interest in it.

He stressed the importance of personal protective equipment used by workers to prevent injury or disease resulting from contact with chemical, physical, radioactive, electrical, mechanical, and other materials. He also pointed out the need for awareness and guidance through various means such as career guidance, awareness leaflets, various awareness materials including posters, foldables, brochures, awareness and training lectures, workshops, meetings,  seminars, etc.

Al Murshidi urged participants to report incidents through emergency and maintenance telephones, explaining the methods of reporting impending incidents. He provided an explanation about the ergonomics, which involves modification of work to suit the employees in terms of offices, tools, and equipment

The lecturer reviewed a list of the most important definitions and terms of the Abu Dhabi Environmental, Health and Safety Management System, such as auditing, biological hazards, commercial waste, corrective actions, risk of injury or harm, damage or loss as well as possibility of sustaining an injury, and an illustration of the damage severity.

The lecturer stressed the importance of risk assessment, which means the process of examining the risk analysis results against the provisions, standards and specifications that have been developed as the basis for decision-making. Risk assessments are carried out in five steps:  identifying risks, identifying people at risk, recording and implementing results, and taking decisions regarding precautions, evaluation, review and updating.

The lecturer reviewed the risks of engineering, physical, chemical and biological, motor and human element, and reviewed the most common risks of occupational safety and health in the working environment.

Under the slogan “Translation and Preservation of the Memory of the Nation: The Image of the UAE in Cultures, Literatures and World Intellectual Heritage”

The National Archives announces its readiness to organize the 2nd edition of the International Conference on Translation



The National Archives of the UAE announced its readiness to organize the 2nd edition of the International Conference on Translation under the slogan: “Translation and Preservation of the Memory of the Nation: The Image of the UAE in Cultures, Literatures and World Intellectual Heritage”. The conference aims to build bridges between other cultures and civilizations worldwide to exchange global human achievements and knowledge and accordingly enhancing the dialogue of civilizations and closing the gap between cultures and knowledge of peoples.

With regard to the preparations for the 2nd edition of the translation conference, H.E. Abdulla Majed Al Ali, NA Executive Director, said that the NA is looking forward to holding another edition of this conference that is more distinctive than the first one. He noted that the NA role in documenting the UAE history and heritage will give the second edition of the conference a historical dimension and its topics will reflect the image of the Emirati community in the mind of the other, in travelers’ eyes and in other western cultures, literatures, etc.

“We received a torrent of messages appreciating the 1st edition of the conference and asking for holding the conference every year. This has affirmed our decision to organize a second edition”, he added. The positive reactions, which were subject to scrutiny by the NA emphasized that the 1st edition of the conference has achieved the targeted objectives. Publishing a book containing the first conference research papers will highlight the efforts exerted in this conference and the additions made to translation through more than forty research papers of high levels of academic research accuracy.

 His Excellency invited all researchers, academic staff and specialists to participate in the International Conference on Translation in its new edition, confirming that the research papers of the conference will receive the attention they deserve from the NA and the output will be in line with the best standards of painstaking academic research papers so that they will constitute a value source for those interested in translation, students of translation studies, researchers and those interested in the UAE history and heritage and in its image in the mind of the other. This conference will bear testament to the wise leadership’s attention to translation since it stands as a real link between the UAE and peoples of the world, fosters the dialogue of civilizations, contributes to the transfer of various types of knowledge and sciences and presents to the world the fascinating image of the UAE, its civilization and development under its prudent leadership.

He assured that the 2nd edition of International Conference on Translation will be organized by the NA during the period May 10-12, 2022. Those who are interested in participating in the conference have to provide the conference organizing committee at the following Email (NATC@na.ae) with research abstracts in Arabic or English, with no more than 300 words for each abstract, no later than October 20, 2021, accompanied by the participants name and all contacts such as workplace, telephone number and postal address.

Communication with candidates nominated to participate in the conference will be via e-mail no later than November 20, 2021. Candidates should send their complete research papers (2500-9500 words) to the NA, noting that the conference sessions will be conducted virtually via the electronic platform “Zoom”.

It is worth mentioning that the following ten topics have been specified for the 2nd International Conference on Translation: 1) The image of the UAE in the eyes of European travelers and the problems of translation from Italian, German and Spanish languages,  2) European historical and political narratives about the UAE and the dilemmas of translation from English, French and Portuguese languages,  3) Contemporary Emirati civilizational achievements in European and Asian writings and the challenges of translation at the present time,  4) The role of translation in enhancing the image of the UAE and its cultural heritage in the twenty-first century at the global level,  5) The representation of the Emirati society in Western cultures and literatures and the complexities of literary translation,  6) The role of the UAE governmental institutions in developing the translation movement in the Arab world,  7) Translation and creativity in the post-globalization era: Great ambitions and new translation theories,  8) Negotiating the linguistic, cognitive, communicative, cultural and technological dimensions of translation,  9) The challenges of Arabic translation in light of semantic, syntactic and cultural differences between different languages, and  10) The role of Arab universities in developing translation teaching programs and preparing translators for the labor market.  

Focusing on haphazard destruction of documents and confirming its role in preserving historical documents

The National Archives calls to mind the stages of document transfer and informs about the destruction procedures



As part of organizing and developing the UAE’s government bodies’ archives as well as educating their employees about the importance of preserving the documents that make up the country’s documentary asset, the National Archives organized a training course and educational workshop about the procedures of transferring documents from government bodies and ways to destroy them. Both the course entitled "Transferring documents from government bodies" and the educational workshop entitled "The mechanism for the document destruction in government bodies" were held in accordance with the requirements of federal law No. 7 of 2008 on the National Archives and its amended laws and executive regulations. The two events received the attention of government bodies and many archive officials and staff, and both reflect the role played by the National Archives in the development of archival awareness and the dissemination of archival culture across all government agencies that aim at forming and preserving the national archival assets according to scientific basis and modern and sophisticated practices.

The first training course entitled "Transferring Documents from Government bodies" was delivered by Mr. Mohamed Al-Bashr from the Archives Department of the National Archives, and it shed light on the history of the National Archives, legal and standard references, notably federal law No. 7 of 2008 on the National Archives and its amended laws and executive regulations.

The course, which participants followed through interactive media, dealt with the transfer of the archive in view of the articles of the Executive Regulations of the said Federal law. It elucidated the methods of transferring documents to the archive unit of the government entity, then transferring them to the National Archives stores for permanent preservation, the transfer requirements, and the duties of the National Archives and the government entity in the transferring and moving processes.

On the other hand, the National Archives, through visual communication technology also organized an educational workshop entitled "The mechanism for the document destruction in government bodies" for officials and staff of the Ministry of Community Development, in which Mr. Ahmed Mujab, archiving expert at the National Archives, explained the purpose of document destruction process in the government entities and the principles by which each entity must abide to implement the process.

The workshop focused on the risk of complacency in destroying any document without obtaining approval from the National Archives, and the consequent  legal liability, penalties and fines specified by law.   The workshop presented the most important tools or models needed to complete the destruction procedure, such as document destruction form and document destruction record form.

 The workshop stressed the need to commit to sending lists of documents to be destroyed to the National Archives Destruction Committee in accordance with the requirements of Federal Law No. 7 of 2008 on the National Archives and its amended laws.

It should be noted that the procedure for destroying documents is to dispose of worthless documents, in view of the articles of the aforementioned law, which set the conditions to be followed prior to the destruction process in order to avoid the haphazard destruction of government documents, to control the disposal of documents and files produced in government entities, and to reduce the volume of documents stored.

Sheikh Zayed's generosity, smart leadership and love for his country and people were a guarantee to the Council's continuity and success.

The National Archives reviews the role of the Council of Rulers of the Trucial States’ and Abu Dhabi's leading role



The National Archives organized a virtual lecture entitled The Council of Rulers of the Trucial States, and the leading role of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi between 1952-1971. It confirmed the leadership and the parental approach of the Builder and Founder Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan with the people of all the Emirates ever since he assumed the reigns of Abu Dhabi in 1966, and his efforts in this Council for the development of the Emirates and its infrastructure.

Ms. Khawla Abdullah Al-AlilY, who presented the lecture, discussed the role played by the Council of Rulers of the Trucial States and the leading role of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, noting that the establishment of the Council of Trucial States and the start of its meetings in 1952 constituted a significant turning point in the emirates’ community, as the seven rulers continued to hold regular meetings discussing the development of the emirates and coordinating businesses and affairs. Therefore, it was a great step and a new stage that paved the way for the establishment of the Union, as the direct meetings had strengthened relations between the rulers.

Ms. Khawla Al-Alili appealed to researchers and those interested in the history of the country to review the British documents to establish historical facts which had been distorted, such as the claim that the rulers were obliged to attend the meetings of the Council, as this, in fact, is far from the truth, because the rulers had the desire to  meet and discuss the affairs of their emirates. They realized early that such meetings constitute an administrative base consolidating their opinions and ideas to set off to serve their compatriots.  Ms. Al-Alily pointed out that the notion of the Council had been on the table since 1932, and she emphasized that the meetings of the rulers in the Council brought them and their crown princes closer together, and through these meetings they realized that their emirates are integrated in all fields.

The lecture defined the Council of Rulers of the Trucial States as a consultative institution established by the British government in 1952 and included the rulers of the Emirates to discuss matters related to development and daily projects that serve citizens at the time. Subsequently, several committees were set up in the Council, such as the Education Committee, the Health Committee, and the Advisory Committee.

The objectives of the Council of Rulers of the Trucial States aspire to prepare development plans for the Trucial States’ infrastructure, and to encourage them to communicate and unite, assume common responsibilities, provide basic services in health and education, keep pace with the development in the other neighbouring emirates (Bahrain and Kuwait), and curb the effects of the decline of the pearl trade.

The lecture, which was delivered remotely through interactive communication technology, addressed the pioneering role played by the Emirate of Abu Dhabi as the greater emirate that also has an important political and economic weight, especially after the discovery of oil. Sheikh Shakhbut Bin Sultan Al Nahyan fulfilled that role, and then Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan who was known for his generosity took over. British documents portray his powerful presence in the meetings of the council and his presentation and discussion abilities and skills. He encouraged the importance of the UAE joining international organizations.

The lecture noted that the late Sheikh Zayed generously covered the expenses of projects in the Trucial States, and he also paid the balances of the citizens' water and electricity bills in Fujairah, Ajman and Umm al-Quwain, and cared for the citizens in the other emirates. He used to contribute to the budget of the Council's fund; thus, the contributions of Abu Dhabi accounted for 90% of the total contributions of the Council. The lecture concluded with several questions, inquiries and discussions from attendees.       

The National Archives concludes its participation in students summer camps

The National Archives enriches summer camps with events that enhance national education for generations



The National Archives concluded its participation in summer camps with a number of workshops and lectures, given its role in national education for generations, fostering loyalty and belonging and instilling good citizenship among students so that they would be able to continue the march of safeguarding the accomplishments of the homeland in the future.

There were various participations and events conducted virtually by the NA via the interactive communication channels, including reading workshop entitled “Qasr Al Hosn”, a lecture entitled “Identity, Loyalty and Belonging: Key National Values” and a lecture entitled “Zayed: The Father and Leader”.

All these lectures were delivered by Mrs. Hind Al Zaabi who is specialized in educational programs at the Educational Programs Section at the NA. She ensured that participants gain both enjoyment and benefit, so she enriched these events with national stories inspired by the biography of the Founding Leader Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan and supported them with the directives by wise leadership for today’s students, the generations of future.

The NA’s participations were part of the summer camp events “Ya Zain Sayfana”, which was organized by the “Future Generation Library” of Mohammed Bin Khalid Al Nahyan Future Generation Society and part of the events of the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority camp.

 The events in which the NA participated have contributed to the spread of historical awareness among students, promoting the sense of original thinking and expression, encouraging research on the UAE history and protecting its landmarks.   

The NA has also participated with a reading workshop entitled “Qasr Al Hosn” inspired by the book Qasr Al Hosn: The History of the Rulers of Abu Dhabi, which discussed the importance of forts, the early history of Abu Dhabi, life in the past, order of Abu Dhabi rulers, construction and importance of Qasr Al Hosn.

The lecture “Identity, Loyalty and Belonging: Key National Values” held in collaboration with Mohammed Bin Khalid Al Nahyan Future Generation Society, has focused on fostering loyalty, identity and belonging to homeland, enhancing principles of good citizenship, building a tight-knit community and preparing a generation with a sense of sacrifice for homeland. The lecture emphasized the importance of the values of belonging, loyalty and identity and of reading the document of Conduct and Ethics of the Emirati Citizen, which confirms the directives of the Chairman of the Board of Directors, H.H. Sheikha Dr. Shamma Bin Mohammed Bin Khalid Al Nahyan, given her belief in the effective role of the Society in building a positive national system.

In a training workshop organized for teachers of the Emirates National Schools and the Spanish School,

The National Archives enriches the new teachers’ knowledge of the UAE history and heritage



The National Archives organized a virtual training workshop to raise awareness among new teachers of the Emirates National Schools and the Spanish School of the UAE’s ancient history, culture, heritage and traditions, which instill the sense of national identity and enhances loyalty and belonging among students. Accordingly, this would close the gap between students, their parents and teachers.

The workshop, organized by the NA via interactive media, strived to acquaint the new teachers and administrators with national values derived from the UAE history and heritage and enhance their experience with the virtues of the Emirati community, which they have to instill among the students.

Emphasizing strategic partnership in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding concluded between the NA and Emirates National Schools, the workshop included events that are concerned with the 100th centennial anniversary of the UAE and that highlight the significance of the Union and the planning of the founding fathers, which has resulted in crowning each stage with innovative and creative achievements that led to the comprehensive and integrated development over the past 50 years. Based on this vision, the “UAE Centennial 2071” will continue the pioneering and sustainability march in the next five decades.

 The workshop started with an exhibition of the photographs preserved in the NA photo archives. The photos showed the attention devoted to education in the UAE by Sheikh Zayed Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan and the founding fathers and the follow up given to the advanced education nowadays under the directives of our wise leadership. After that, a documentary film entitled “Building a Nation” was shown. It presents the beginning of the development of education in the UAE and the related achievements that were made in record time.

Dr. Aisha Bilkhair, Research Advisor at the NA, held an intensive lecture entitled “The UAE History and Culture”. She tackled milestones in the history of the UAE foundation, development and prosperity as well as its key symbols such as the flag and national anthem. She, then, elaborated on the journey of education in the UAE, which started from the Katateeb and reached smart education, the role of the Emirati society in education and contributions of pearl merchants and other society members to the support and development of education since giving was part of the Emirati culture. This is in addition to semi-formal and formal education and the role of Kuwait in establishing formal schools and teaching the Kuwaiti curricula there.

She also highlighted the great role of the founding leader, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan and H.H. Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, Mother of the Nation, in the Emiratization of education and approving Emirati curricula of national identity. Moreover, the lecturer talked about Sheikh Zayed’s role in enabling and guiding women to gain the knowledge that leads to a job so that women would have an effective role in the society. It is worth mentioning that H.H. Sheikha Fatima’s follow up has enabled women to work in various fields with confidence and competence.

The lecturer aimed to foster doing good deeds among children in the UAE. This is, actually, part of our heritage. Fathers and ancestors raised their children on principles of generosity and helping the others. She also illustrated the efforts of the UAE and the Federal National Council in honoring women, brining their role into prominence and achieving gender balance.

She pointed out that the UAE being able to provide smart education at this stage has opened the door to artificial intelligence and modern sciences. This was also accompanied by recruiting brilliant brains, stimulating creativity and innovation and entering space. The UAE is fully prepared for the next fifty years, which objectives and strategies have been set by the leadership and which are a continuation of the last fifty years that were visioned and planned by Sheikh Zayed.

Dr. Aisha Bilkhair supported the workshop ideas with some stories, which stress on Sheikh Zayed’s sustainable leadership and continuous approach and indicate that his vision, which emerged in advance of his time is reflected in our present. His approach is featured by humanity, tolerance, safety and security, containment of others and many values that the UAE is still proud of.

The workshop took participants on virtual tours of the NA to learn about its facilities and services including historical records and documents, which are accessible to beneficiaries. The tours started with the Arabian Gulf Digital Archives (AGDA), which is a source of inspiration because of its documents that are of historical value and pertaining to the UAE and GCC. Accordingly, it became a source of rare information and unique documents.

The virtual tour of Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Hall at the NA served as a window through which a visitor is acquainted with aspects of the UAE history. The next tour was of the Emirates Library, which forms a significant part of the NA academic and research program since it enables researchers, students and knowledge seekers to benefit from its rich and specialized collections of both paper and electronic documents on the UAE and GCC history. The last tour was of the Customer Happiness Hall where researchers can be provided with historical documents they request from the NA.

In cooperation with Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi

The National Archives Announces the Launch of the Master Degree Program in Records Management and Archival Studies Starting in Next September



The National Archives announced the launch of the Master Degree Program in in Records Management and Archival Studies, which was designed in cooperation with Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, and its first academic year will begin in September 2021. This high academic program will qualify the enrolled students with the necessary skills to improve the archiving system and will be in line with the development witnessed in our current era in the field of archiving, documentation, artificial intelligence programs and other technical sciences. This program is the culmination of a series of study programs in which the National Archives cooperates with Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi. Firstly, there was the Professional Certificate in Records and Archives Management which was designed to qualify the employees in charge of government archives to enhance their knowledge. Then the university started the Bachelor Degree in Records Management for the secondary school graduates. The two programs proved successful and encouraged the introduction of a Master Degree Program in the field of Archiving.

Regarding the introduction of this program, His Excellency Abdullah Majid Al Ali, the Executive Director in the National Archives, said: “The success achieved by the National Archives in cooperation with Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi in the Professional Certificate and Bachelor Degree Program encouraged us to cooperate together to introduce the Master Degree Program in Record Management and Archival Studies. We have a great hope on this program, which we expect to be very popular; because this specialization is the first of its kind in the UAE, and that it gives the graduates greater confidence when they enter the labor market since it is a comprehensive program that provides a high level of intellectual education through specialized research in the fields of archiving and all related modern sciences. All that can pave the way for them to think outside the box.

The National Archives paid great attention to this program as it will prepare a generation of experienced professionals in this field in the wake of the information revolution and the digital transformation that prevailed in the various administrative and the paperless management fields. The program aims to prepare distinguished professionals to assume positions in senior and middle management in various agencies, or qualify them to pursue their PhD Programs in Records and Archives Management.”

His Excellency thanked the prestigious Sorbonne University for its permanent cooperation with the National Archives, which lead to the achievement of all joint projects with great success and pointed out that the curriculum of the master degree program will equip the students with in-depth theoretical and methodological knowledge and offer them excellent learning experience through training and experiences. This will provide the students the opportunity to apply their distinguished acquired skills in their places of work.

His Excellency praised this program, which provides the students with specialized knowledge and new skills resulting from deep research and study that will enhance their ability to become creative, innovative and enable them to develop scientific thinking. It also prepares the students to be pioneers in the development in the fields of documentation and archiving and show their interest and keenness to use both traditional and modern methods to preserve and organize archives and to preserve and process documents in the presence of huge data and the modernity we live in that has become a distinguishing feature of this era.

His Excellency said: “We are very keen to enhance the knowledge and theory wealth, which the students will gain from the master degree program by way of practical application and through the visits to the headquarters of the National Archives, and the practical experience they will gain in the Restoration and Preservation Centre of the National Archives. The students enrolled in this program shall acquire accurate knowledge in all aspects of this specialization, as well as in the modern sciences such as artificial intelligence, which we hope will be used tremendously in the field of documentation and archiving and they shall also promote cultural awareness on preserving documents of all kinds and forms and encourage scientific research in this field.”

Professor Silvia Serrano, Director of the Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi - thanked the National Archives for the good cooperation in all stages of developing and designing the master degree program in Record Management and Archival Studies, which is taught in English for two years. The program includes professional skills and in-depth knowledge in the field of this constantly evolving scientific specialization.

She added: “Archiving plays a very important role. It is considered the memory of nations that enriches society at the cultural and intellectual levels. The progress and development of countries is closely linked to the efforts made in preserving history and learning from the past and that can only be achieved through mastering the science of records management and archiving. The successful cooperation between Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi and the National Archives has resulted in several distinctive and unique programs in records management and archival studies that brings together the academic excellence dating back to 760 years and international professors and experts. We are fully confident that this cooperation will yield many achievements in the future and we look forward to seeing the positive effects that the graduates will have through the development the institutions in which they work and contributing to support the country’s economic progress in general.



The National Archives:

The National Archives of the Ministry of Presidential Affairs was first established in 1968 upon the directives of the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, with the aim of collecting documents and information relating to the history and heritage of the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf region. Forty years later, HH Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE President, issued Federal Law No. (7) of 2008 changing its name to the National Center for Documentation and Research (NCDR), and assigning it to organize the archives of the various UAE government entities. Finally, HH Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan issued Federal Law No. (1) of 2014, renaming it the National Archives.

Through British records and archives,

The National Archives reviews the history of Sheikh Zayed in Al Ain and his achievements, which brough prosperity to people and the area

The National Archives organized a virtual lecture entitled “An Introduction to British Documents: Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in Al Ain as a Model for Study”. The lecture reviewed the historical context of the period in which Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan was the Ruler Representative in Al Ain and described the tribal map in the middle of the 20th century. This is in addition to the great role of Sheikh Zayed in Al Ain, which witnessed the first signs of his unprecedented unitary thought and where he rose to prominence as a leader of wisdom and dedication. He was admired by his people who were impressed by the major projects in the fields of education management, schools construction, agriculture and agrarian reform as well as encouraging farmers to engage in farming. Trade boomed in Al Ain, thanks to Sheikh Zayed’s efforts.

In this lecture, which was organized by the NA and broadcasted via the interactive social media, Dr. Hamdan Al Dara’, Researcher and Historian, expressed his admiration for the period, which Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan spent in Al Ain (1946-1966) and in which he started to implement his huge project to provide fresh water. He was dedicated to dig and restore Falajs and end water monopoly. He succeeded in achieving social justice.

The lecture, which received the interest of internal and external researchers, started with defining history and demonstrating the importance of documents in writing history. The lecturer reviewed the main sources and references for studying history, noting that the British Indian Government archives contain documents that record the British activities in the region and the administrative dependencies of the British Indian Government from the 17th century to the 20th century. He presented samples of this archive. He suggested that documents of the British Foreign Office and the UK National Archives are of great help in studying the history of the region affairs. He appreciated the personal archives of VIPs who spent part of their lives serving as officials in the UAE. He also stressed the importance of academic integrity in verifying the facts contained in documents.

With respect to the period in which Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan was the Ruler Representative in Al Ain, Dr. Hamdan Al Dara’ highlighted the timeline of the leadership roles of Sheikh Zayed at various levels, his hobbies, sports and efforts in accompanying the oil exploration teams as well as his journey to the Western Region with the British traveler, Buckmaster, in 1954, which lasted for two full months. It was the first statistics on population and oases.

Under the topic “Zayed and the Unitary Thought”, the lecturer talked about unity in Sheikh Zayed’s thought and about his efforts and discussions to achieve the Union.

With the aim of promoting archival work and for further awareness,

The National Archives organizes a training course to raise and spread archival awareness

The National Archives has organized a virtual training course entitled “Raising and Spreading Archival Awareness” that is part of the “Knowledge Transfer” project, which the NA relies on in training the employees, developing their skills, bridging the knowledge and skills gap, exchanging experience among employees, and providing them with the required knowledge to boost professional development. The course was held upon the appointment of a number of employees by the NA to equip them with adequate experience of the duties they have to perform in accordance with the work system and mechanisms applicable at the NA.

This training course is part of the activities, courses, lectures and workshops, which the NA focuses on in the “Knowledge Transfer” project that provides employees with knowledge, which helps them in achieving their objectives and improving their skills through a chain of activities of national, academic and professional contents.   

The training course, delivered by Hatem Younis, Technical Expert at the NA, tackled documents definition, preservation period and the difference between current and intermediate archives. It highlighted the FAQ related to archives and reviewed Federal Law No. (7) of 2008, its amendments and Executive Regulation. Moreover, it presented the NA’s archival policies, procedures, and guides.

The course, held via interactive communication technologies, began with defining documents, their means of storage, lifecycle and the three ages:  which start from documents creation and preservation at the current archives (1-5 years), and then they are transferred to the intermediate archives where their values depreciate, and they remain there for 15 years. Finally, they are moved to the permanent archives, the historical archives, and they become of a great historical value. If they are useless, they are disposed following a number of legal processes and after getting the NA’s approval for disposal.

Frequent asked questions in the field of archives were presented in this training course. The lecturer reported that these questions are available on the NA website and that they should be reviewed due to their importance in all fields of work at the NA.

Furthermore, the course illustrated Federal Law No. (7) of 2008, its Executive Regulations and amendments in addition to the amendments expected to be made in the near future. It showed the main articles of the law since they serve as the roadmap for the archives of government and semi-government entities in the UAE.

The training course, which is aimed to raise and spread archival awareness demonstrated the policies and procedures applicable at the NA such as the NA’s policies of documents accessibility, historical archives collection, paper and electronic documents management and documents preservation.

The course concluded with a detailed explanation of the NA’s guides, which are the Archives Guide, Electronic Archiving Guide and Documents Disposal Guide. All these guides are available on the NA’s website.