The National Archives- in cooperation with the Ministry of "Education"- supplements the national education curricula with historical documentary films promoting loyalty and belonging to the UAE

As part of the ongoing cooperation and strategic partnership between the National Archives and the Ministry of Education in the United Arab Emirates, the National Archives supplemented state schools social studies and civic education curricula with short national historical documentary films that support the curriculum and further explain its details, to enhance students' visual and mental historical memory with national values and principles, thus enhancing their loyalty and belonging, and establishing their national identity.

The National Archives provided the Ministry of Education access to ten documentary films from the "Memory of the Nation", which were included in "Al Diwan" platform. The Ministry also included them in school-books and provided access to these historical documentary films through a scan code for each, so students can watch them on their mobile devices.

The Ministry of Education has supported its national curricula with these films, which the National Archives has produced in line with its national responsibility, and classified them according to the consistency and conformity of their content with its educational subjects or material.

The diverse documentary films' topics enrich school curricula, as they depict aspects of the glorious biography of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and his brothers the founding fathers of the UAE, and deal with its history and civilization.

These films are well received by students because they support in an audio-visual form and an interesting cinematic production, the theoretical knowledge and information they received through their books.



About this mutual cooperation, His Excellency Abdullah Majed Al Ali, Executive Director of the National Archives said: The cooperation between the National Archives and the Ministry of Education takes strategic dimensions which allow the National Archives to play its role in developing and enhancing students' knowledge in order to build and shape their personality as needed by the nation whether at present or in future. He added that the National Archives is a strong supporter for UAE educational projects and systems, this stems from its belief in its documentary mission and its societal role, noting that the National Archives various important projects and initiatives in collaboration with the Ministry of Education have qualified it to win the Khalifa Award for Education for the education supporting institutions category.



His Excellency also stressed that the close cooperation between the National Archives and the Ministry of Education is achieving the targeted objectives aiming at providing sound civic education and historical awareness of the homeland thus establishing the national identity of UAE students who constitute the backbone, and pillar supporting the UAE future,.

The cooperation between the National Archives and the Ministry of Education resulted in several programs, projects and initiatives, since the National Archives is the targeted destination for history and heritage research students of all ages, where they find the most important, reliable and authentic historical documents, references and sources, whether in the traditional hardcopy or in digital form.



The National Archives- concurrently with organizing students school trips to the its headquarters- launched its educational national awareness program: “My Nation, My Identity, ..My loyalty and belonging”, which instills in young generations the supreme values of loyalty and belonging and reinforces principles of national identity and good citizenship for a better and promising UAE future.



In cooperation with the Ministry of Education, the National Archives annually holds the "Teachers Forum" which has become a cultural event aiming to support the vision of the United Arab Emirates through instilling national identity in UAE people, and promoting the values of loyalty and belonging to the homeland and its wise leadership. The forum aims to bridge gaps between teachers, students, and parents by enhancing teachers' knowledge of the history and heritage of the United Arab Emirates, and introducing them to Emirati customs, traditions that bring them closer to students. Moreover, the Ministry employs the National Archives' efforts and national experiences and expertise in preparing history and civic education curricula.



Among the ongoing projects between the National Archives and the Ministry of Education is the Student Historians Club, which aims to develop students' awareness of their homeland, its history, heritage and achievements, and to enhance their educational process as this project constitutes a link that bridges the gap between students theoretical education received at school and its practical application.



Among the joint initiatives between the two parties is "My Archive.. My Future" stemming from "Watheq"  national campaign which aims to educate school students and raise their awareness about the importance of documenting personal records as part of the future memory of the nation. As well as the national educational initiative "Zayed 100 Stories", which resulted in encouraging and motivating students to prepare 100 stories about the Founding Leader, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan from the memory of the nation, through their readings of his glorious biography.



"Our Inspirational Stories" initiative has directed students to write about carefully considered and targeted national historical programs that contribute to the development of society, highlight humanitarian and community projects and initiatives, spread hope, instill values of benevolence and giving, enhance positivity and optimism, and improve the quality of life in the Emirati society.

The initiatives of "Zayed.. 100 Stories", "Our Inspirational Stories" and the "Writers of the UAE Fiftieth Anniversary" constitute a golden triangle for students' creativity. The National Archives has evaluated the students participating works in the latter initiative, and anticipated a bright future that awaits these future generations. That initiative was designed to prepare a creative generation of students, to sponsor, take care of them, and enhance their knowledge and  writing skills, to eventually lead them to cultural distinction.

Perhaps the most prominent stage of the two institutions' cooperation is the series of "Reading through the Memory of the Nation" projects that were launched concurrently with the "Year of Zayed" and included a number of initiatives aiming to benefit all UAE school students, and focusing on the eternal legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, his achievements, wisdom, efforts and endeavors for the development of mankind, and his ahead of his time vision for national sustainability. this series includes:

- The initiative to provide one hundred school libraries and enrich them with historic and national books.

- The initiative to provide a hundred other schools with the words and quotes of the wise Arab Leader, Sheikh Zayed.

- The initiative to publish one million of the following educational booklets: “Khalifa… A Journey into the Future” and the book “Zayed, From Challenges To Union ", and " Qasr Al Hosn: The History of the Rulers of Abu Dhabi ".

It is noteworthy that the cooperation between the two parties began with school trips to the National Archives headquarters (previously called the "Center for Documentation and Research"), and later launched the "Young Historian Award", in 2009, with the aim of enhancing the values of loyalty, belonging, national identity, and developing historical awareness of generations of students, which helped them to develop their critical and analytic skills, their innovative thinking and expression, through employing innovative research approaches, and encouraged their research on the UAE history and heritage and their preservation. This award, which will soon come to its Twelfth edition has achieved its targeted objectives; as it attracted and encouraged a large number of students to research on the various eras of the UAE history.



The National Archives:

The National Archives of the United Arab Emirates was established under the Ministry of Presidential Affairs in 1968, based on the directives of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, with the aim of collecting and documenting material relating to the history and heritage of the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf region. Forty years after its establishment, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan issued Federal Law No. (7) for the year 2008 to change its name to be the National Center for Documentation and Research, entrusted with the task of organizing government entities archives in the United Arab Emirates, then a later order issued by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE to change its name from the (National Center for Documentation and Research) to be the (National Archives) in accordance with Federal Law No. (1) of 2014.

In Collaboration with the Sorbonne - Abu Dhabi

The National Archives Supports the Students of “Records Management and Archival Science” with Specialized Lectures



The National Archives held a series of specialized lectures about methods of preserving, restoring and digitizing historical films and photographs for the students enrolled in the Bachelor’s degree in “Records Management and Archival Science” at the Sorbonne University - Abu Dhabi.

The National Archives held these lectures in collaboration with the Sorbonne University – Abu Dhabi, with the aim of integrating students’ theoretical studies with field and practical practices and help them become fully acquainted with the scientific and practical skills in the field of preserving historical films and photographs of our present time which is witnessing rapid technological changes.

 The National Archives directs attention to the students enrolled in the BA degree in “Records Management and Archival Science” at the Sorbonne University - Abu Dhabi because  it is the university’s partner in this undergraduate program and looks forward to continuing cooperation with it to launch higher academic degrees in the same specialty this year.

Delivered virtually  through interactive technologies in application of the precautionary measures to curb the global spread of Covid-19, the lectures enriched the students' knowledge with detailed information in the field of preservation, restoration and digitization of historical photographs and the old multimedia in the National Archives and other institutions.

The specialized lectures, given by Abdullah Al-Bastaki,  Digital Archives Specialist at the National Archives, included seven themes. It dealt with photographic collections, animated films and videotapes with respect to their types and sizes and the processes and guidelines followed in digitizing documents in the National Archives and other institutions. They also shed light on the equipment for digitization and preservation and the methods of using them. Moreover, the lectures explained the methods of managing, acquiring and organizing collections and setting priorities in  digitization and methods of conservation for each collection and the re-storing process in the National Archives, in addition to  methods of handling fragile elements including photo albums and controlling temperature and humidity.

In the field of building expertise, the lectures focused on how to develop best archival practices based on the specific needs of archives and explained the different professional paths in preservation and restoration and the importance of providing professional advice.

The two day lecture series, held by the National Archives, were  attended by more than 40 students, who actively interacted with the lecturer asking various questions and enquiring about details, which indicated their interest in this important aspect of archival work.

It is noteworthy that the specialized undergraduate program which was launched by the National Archives in collaboration with the Sorbonne University - Abu Dhabi in 2019,  aims to qualify students in the field of documentation and archiving and to keep pace with the requirements of the present time and the labor market in light of the general awareness of archives’ importance in all official bodies and state institutions. The program looks forward to providing students with the highest academic levels in “Records Management and Archival Science” within a professional context.

The scientific, professional and academic integration that connects the National Archives with the established Sorbonne University - Abu Dhabi is very important in developing all aspects related to the specialized study and scientific research in the field of “Records Management and Archival Science”. Moreover, it contributes to preparing a generation that is well aware of archives’ significance as they represent the memory of the nation and form the mainstay of work and decision-making in any professional institution.

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.

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The National Archives organizes a training course on best practices in government entities’ document inventory



Having signed a memorandum of understanding with Ministry of Justice recently, the National Archives held a  training course entitled Government Entities’ Documents Inventory for the ministry’s employees. The MoU aims to enhance collaboration in areas which support both parties’ missions and work jointly to organize the ministry’s archives. The training course represents the National Archives’ contribution to setting up a model integrated system for the Ministry of Justice both paper and electronic archives as well as applying an integrated document management policy, enhancing skills in paper and electronic document conservation and developing qualified archive cadres.





The training course which was delivered remotely by the archiving expert, Ahmed Mujib, dealt with the archive document, the process of inventorying documents produced and received in a government entity, determining  their conservation places and preparing the relevant lists. He pointed out that this procedure is conducted regularly at the end of each year to identify the numbers, types and conservation locations of document.

The training course defined the objective of the document inventory process in compliance with the legal requirements set by the Federal Law on the National Archives No. (7) of 2008, amended by Law No. (1) of 2014 and its executive regulations. This process seeks to inventorying files and documents in the sites of the government entities, preparing lists of files in all organizational units to be able to check their integrity, and using lists to search for documents and control the process of viewing them.



The training course dealt with the articles of Law No. (1) of 2014 and its executive regulations, which dealt with organizing and conserving documents at government entities. It also reviewed pictures of scattered archives in some stores and the methods of putting files in archive boxes and placing them on shelves, in addition to pictures of the archives on shelves or in cabinets, and the sequential numbering of boxes or files regardless of their content or source.

The training course, in which a large number of employees of the Ministry of Justice and National Archives participated, also dealt with preparing for the document inventory process by identifying the required inventory locations, preparing posters to number sites, shelves and cabinets, placing posters in the appropriate spot, and then recording the inventory data. Besides, it outlined the requirements for regulating and implementing document inventory at government entities.



It is noteworthy that the National Archives has drawn up a plan to spread  archival culture among government entities. Thus, it organized many awareness workshops for government entities about the work actions related to managing current and intermediate documents and organizing paper and electronic archives. Additionally, the awareness workshops dealt with many other topics such as document inventory, document and archive transfer, document destruction, document classification, preparation of filing plans, document conservation and availability, and many electronic archiving issues.



The National Archives also organizes awareness workshops for archives officials, highlighting the importance of managing files in government entities in a scientific method, in accordance with the UAE’s laws. Moreover, the National Archives’ specialized teams make field visits to organize the archives of the local government entities, and the National Archives also provides free consultations and other services to public and private entities.



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 be the National Center for Documentation and Research (NCDR), and assigning it to organize the archives of the various UAE government entities. In 2014, HH Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan issued Federal Law No. (1) of 2014, which changed its name to the National Archives.

“The UAE, ..nation and land of Tolerance and Human Fraternity  ... a bully-free world”



The National Archives organized two national lectures as part of the Human Fraternity Festival events

The National Archives organized two lectures as part of the events of the annual Human Fraternity Festival, that starts on February 4th, and is organized by the UAE Ministry of Tolerance and Coexistence. This festival comes in celebration and commemoration of the International Day of Human Fraternity declared by the United Nations, in commemoration of the signing of the Abu Dhabi Document on Human Fraternity on February 4th, 2019, which is in essence a message of love and peace from the UAE to the world.

The two virtual interactive lectures came in strict adherence to adopted precautionary measures to counter and contain the spread of Covid-19 virus: the first of which is entitled: “The UAE, ..the land of tolerance,” while the second is entitled: “Human Fraternity ... a bully-free world.”

The first lecture was delivered by the lecturer Muhammad Ismail Abdullah, Senior Educational Programs Officer at the National Archives who stressed that the UAE shall continue to spread hope and goodness, and that the 4th of February will remain an occasion which illustrates that the UAE is a global capital of tolerance that promotes coexistence, solidarity and tolerance values.



The lecturer quoted the founding leader Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan's words: "Tolerance is a must, because a person is a human being in the first place, whether Muslim or non-Muslim, he is God's creation", and illustrated by speaking of tolerance in Sheikh Zayed's approach; emphasizing that he has always sought to preserve the values of Islam, making equality and tolerance a way of life, and since the establishment of the Union, he has warmly welcomed all nationalities to the UAE, which he made a land of tolerance, coexistence and love. The lecturer defined tolerance as acceptance, mercy, lenience, and kindness, he added that its linguistic connotation or terminology imply patience, forgiveness, mercy and benevolence, and that tolerance is one of the most important human values in the world.

The lecturer indicated that Islam is a religion of tolerance, honor, pride, and justice, and that religious tolerance- as opposed to intolerance- is based on accepting others and respecting their beliefs. The lecturer pointed out that the values of tolerance and love are deep rooted in the UAE society and are integral constituents of its cultural and social heritage, where people has long lived and coexisted with love, as the UAE people developed a unique social solidarity system based on social solidarity and tolerance values.

the lecturer also listed the characteristics of the Emirati society, indicating that it is one of the most successful and accomplished societies in terms of adopting, displaying and exercising the values of tolerance instilled and established by the UAE and its wise leadership. The lecturer then spoke of tolerance in the UAE constitution, and the story behind (Al-Ghaf tree) as the slogan of tolerance and the reason for choosing it.

In conclusion, the lecturer spoke about the Emirati example and model of tolerance, and the programs and tools supporting it, highlighting the positive role that the media plays in promoting tolerance in society.

As for the second lecture, "Human Fraternity ... a bully-free world", delivered by the Emirati Author Mariam Al Hammadi who stressed that the UAE will always remain a beacon that disseminates and promotes the values of tolerance and giving, and seeks to achieve the well-fare, happiness and development for all beings. She later depicted the workplace or professional bullying, and reviewed some of its forms, such as: exclusion, or isolation of the bullied employee, disregarding his/her feelings, and attaching no significance or importance to them, directing false accusations, demotion and termination, unjust evaluation, pushing him/ her to resign or leave work ... etc. The lecturer shed light on the bully deriving factors, and explained the five monkeys theory in management, then proceeded to explain the situation of bullying institutions. In conclusion, she reviewed the methods adopted to eliminate workplace bullying and deal with or treat its negative effects.



The National Archives:

The National Archives of the United Arab Emirates was established in 1968 under the Ministry of Presidential Affairs, based on the directives of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, with the aim of collecting and documenting material relating to the history and heritage of the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf region. Forty years after its establishment, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE President issued Federal Law No. (7) for the year 2008 to change its name to be the National Center for Documentation and Research, which was entrusted with organizing the UAE government entities' archives. Later, His Highness issued his orders to change its name to be the (National Archives) in accordance with Federal Law No. (1) of 2014.

A delegation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation visited the Center for Preservation and Restoration of the National Archives and praised its crucial role in preserving the  memory of the nation



A delegation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation visited the Preservation and Restoration Center of the National Archives where its members explored the preservation stores keeping government entities documents, and the key archives management adopted procedures in: the government archives, the Digital archives, and the preservation and restoration sections.

The visit came as a prelude to transferring the Ministry's historical documents to the Preservation and Restoration center of the National Archives, as part of the UAE documentary material compiling.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation delegation toured the large warehouses equipped with the latest technologies, and adopting the latest and most sophisticated global practices in preserving historical documents transferred to the National Archives from various UAE government archives.

The delegation members were briefed about the role of the restoration laboratory which undertakes the restoration of frayed or worn important historical documents with great historical value to repair any damage and extend their lifespan.

The preservation and restoration center officials briefed their guests with information on the building which was established under the provisions of Federal Law No. (7) of 2008 on the National Archives, later amended by Federal Law No. (1) of 2014 with the aim of organizing the process of preserving governmental and official historical records. They indicated that the building includes 19 large stores designed to receive various government entities archives, with a storage capacity that accommodates more than 890 thousand (equivalent to over three and a half million) archives boxes.



The visiting delegation was also briefed on some techniques relating to documents digitization whether on microfilms or microfiches, on high-resolution electronic photo-copying techniques for all types of documents, on providing various research fields for those wishing to benefit from the National Archives valuable and accessible information and material preserved to serve in documenting the UAE history.

The visiting delegation also viewed the various techniques adopted for treating and restoring fragile historical documents that succumbed to damage to be utilized later after preserving and safeguarding them in specially equipped stores, and digitizing them to allow for their accessibility in a timely and user friendly manner.

At the end of the visit, the delegation members praised the great accomplishments witnessed at the National Archives Preservation and Restoration Center and its facilities, indicating that it is an important national achievement for the National Archives which contributes to preserving the memory of the nation and safeguarding it against any damage or loss. They expressed their great admiration for the adopted safety and security measures to counter any emergency or sudden disaster, and the great care and interest vested in safeguarding and preserving authentic documents and archival records, and the methods employed to ensure their easy and timely access upon need. They highly valued the adopted precautionary and preventive measures currently required to counter and contain the global outbreak of Coronavirus.



It is noteworthy that the National Archives has- for more than half a century- been collecting historical documents and preserving them for future generations to make them available to decision-makers, researchers, academics and all interested in the history and heritage of the UAE, and has allocated the preservation and restoration center building for the preservation and conservation of historical records and documents which are an irrefutable evidence of important events in the history of the Emirates.



These visits Shed light on the National Archives role in preserving the history and memory of the nation, and is a tangible reminder of the founding father and leader, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan who was the first to realize the importance of documents and to vest great interest in them- as duly deserved since they constitute the cultural legacy and heritage of the nation- when he issued his directives for the establishment of the National Archives in 1968 to hold and preserve, for future generations, historical records and documents that represent the memory of the nation, through their description, classification and indexing; since they are considered an important supporting pillar for national identity and values, as they include and constitute documented historical information. The National Archives is proud to disseminate culture through documented history and authentic documents presented in its various valuable publications.



The National Archives of the UAE was established under the Ministry of Presidential Affairs in 1968, upon directives of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, with the aim of collecting and documenting material relating to the history and heritage of the UAE and the Gulf region. Forty years later, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan President of the UAE, issued Federal Law No. 7 of 2008, changing it to be the National Center for Documentation and Research, entrusted with organizing government entities archives in the United Arab Emirates. Then in 2014, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed issued Federal Law No. (1) changing its name from (the National Center for Documentation and Research) to be (National Archives).

The Emirates Library: Serving as the Nation’s Memory and Sharing it 

The Emirates Library, at the National Archives, is a specialized research library established in 1968.  The Library provides facilities for borrowing and circulation including access to electronic resources and photocopy services in line with local and international copyright laws.  The Library is focused on topics related specifically to the United Arab Emirates as well as the Gulf Region and other relevant topics.  The Library utilizes the Library of Congress Classification system.  In addition to its collections of print resources, the Library contains a press archive of local, Arab, and International newspapers and magazines as well as a collection of theses and dissertations.

Most of the Arabic titles the Library eagerly acquired, from the exhibition, are in line not only with the objectives of the National Archives but the requirements of academics and researchers conducting research on the history and heritage of the Emirates who patron the Library.  The aim is to provide more references and resources concerning the history and heritage of the Emirates and the Gulf Region.

The Library has worked to enrich its’ holdings with the most important historical books, series, dictionaries, etc., most prominently: Dictionary of Tools in Emirati Heritage; Al Ain: City of History and Civilization; Al Dhaid City: A Reading in History and Personalities; Zayed and the Objectives of Islamic Law; Al-Sana - Timeless Values Throughout the Ages; Liwa Through History; Emirates of the Coast: Memoirs of Julian Walker. Other significant holdings include: The Arabian Gulf through the texts of Portuguese Travelers and Historians During the Era of the Great Geographical Discoveries and the Portuguese Occupation of the Gulf, in three volumes; The United Arab Emirates: Difficulties of Establishment and Construction Components; Postal Services in the Emirate of the Coast; Glimpses of the History of Health and Medical Care in the Emirate of Sharjah; Trade in the Emirates of Old. Other books deal with the history and heritage of sister countries: The Kuwaitis: History and Occupations; Times, Places, and Personalities in Bahrain, the Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar, in two parts; The Political and Commercial History of Oman and its Foreign Relations in the Islamic Middle Ages (749-1208 AD); Historical Views of Kuwaiti Figures, in two volumes; Ascribed Inscriptions Regarding Water and Irrigation in Ancient Yemen; The Bu Saids and the Family of Saud; Andalusian History from the Islamic Conquest to the Fall of Granada.

The Library has a keen interest in encyclopedias and in linguistic and general dictionaries and it has acquired a number of these reference works, most significantly: The Large Golden Dictionary; Dictionary of the Language of the Sharia, in four volumes; A Dictionary of Famous Women; Major Encyclopedia of World-Famous Persons, in twenty-four volumes.

It is noteworthy that the Emirates Library, part of the scientific and research program of the National Archives, provides visitors with services to take benefit from its’ rich and specialized collection. This includes thousands of distinguished premium print and electronic resources, which form integrated collections of references, theses, rare books, Arab and foreign periodicals, and online subscriptions to eBooks, and various databases. The Library contains a wealth of historical books, the most important books on the UAE and topics related to the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council. It includes biographical books, atlases (including the largest atlas in the world), dictionaries, encyclopedias, original rare books, etc. Information resources in the library are in two languages, Arabic and English, augmented by materials in other major languages such as French, German, Farsi, Dutch, and Portuguese.

The Library is preparing for the launch of its digital repository project in 2021, which represents the first of its efforts to provide access to the Library’s various digital assets relating to government publications, rare books, periodical articles, and open access resources. In addition, the Library continues to contribute to the project, “Arabic Collections Online,” available free in the form of a digital repository of rare Arabic books on the internet via the link: http://dlib.nyu.edu/aco/ .

This article is a courtesy of the National Archives

 “Memories of the Arabian Peninsula  ... a Journey in Pictures,” authored by Pascal Gale and published by the National Archives

A Photographic Journey



Among the most famous photographs that shed light on the region in old times is the collection of photographs taken by the famous traveler Johann Ludwig Burckhardt (1784-1817), during his trip to the Abu Dhabi region in 1904. The most prominent picture features Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa in his open court next to the wall of “Qasr al-Hosn”, together with other sheikhs and citizens. There is also a picture of the Ruler’s Palace or the Al-Hosn Fortress in Abu Dhabi, and a picture of traditional ships at the Abu Dhabi port. The collection also includes a picture of a horse decorated with a luxurious embroidered saddle, presented by the Sharif of Mecca to the Ruler of Abu Dhabi, and a picture of a man carrying a simple musical instrument resembling a rabab. These pictures, alongside others dating back to different periods, are found in the book entitled “Memories of the Arabian Peninsula  ... a Journey in Pictures,” authored by Pascal Gale and published by the National Archives. The importance of this book stems from the fact that it is a visual document containing old photographs, which are shot during the mid-19th century up until the first half of the 20th century and selected from private and public collections. They reflect memories of the Arabian Peninsula in a bygone world, including street scenes, images of individuals, landscapes, architectural wonders of the past, and portraits of rulers, sheikhs and the public. Pascal Gale mentioned that he tracked travelers who had sought exotic things and chased the dream of the East, pointing out that he spent almost two years travelling across Arabia. It was a journey through time in pursuit of a unique pictorial legacy, in order to gain a better understanding of the photos he found, to uncover this archive in full and to share the same experience of those skilled photographers who managed to capture and immortalize these fleeting moments. Since there is not any work of photography that brings together the seven countries of the Arabian Peninsula, Gale dedicated a separate chapter to each of them. He started with the UAE and included old images featuring some of its historical leaders, its wild and marine life, its social and economic aspects and its customs and traditions. The book also focused on the characteristics for which each country in Arabia was known throughout its history as depicted and inferred from the photographs.



Photographs from the Emirates



The photographs about the UAE, which the book contains, convey features of the daily life of the region’s residents, and the economic and social activities in which they engaged. In fact, they enable researchers and readers to imagine what the society was like at that time. They include a photo of fishermen casting their nets from the shore of Abu Dhabi in 1959, photos of the Abu Dhabi market dating back to 1962 depicting wooden shops on both sides of the market with various goods displayed, and photos showing the building of Eastern Bank Limited in Al Ain in 1963. There are also photographs, which shed light on the means of transport during different periods, such as those picturing camel caravans carrying goods as well as people across the desert and transporting them from one region to another. A photo captured in 1958 shows abras crossing the Dubai Creek while porters on the shore load and unload goods. Other photos of ships transporting cars are found in the collection of  year 1936, which also includes a picture of a car that got stuck while crossing the sand-flat at the entrance to Abu Dhabi, which illustrates how moving  in cars was hard at the time as there were no paved roads.  Fortunately, there are photos which peeped into the customs and traditions of the people of the Emirates at the time, such as that of a man serving coffee to a number of men in the Liwa Oasis,  a photo of the Eid prayers in Abu Dhabi in 1962, portraying men performing the prayers, as well as women who were some distance behind them and  a photo of some girls performing folk dances in Al Hili village in Al Ain. There is also a photo portraying the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan - may God rest his soul- taking part in the traditional dance of Al-Razfa, together with the people of Al-Ain during an occasion.     

The National Archives Receives the Saudi Ambassador to the UAE



His Excellency Turki Aldakhil, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the UAE, visited the UAE National Archives Headquarters in Abu Dhabi and praised the critical national role it plays in documenting the history of the UAE and preserving the archives of the Gulf Region countries.

During his visit, His Excellency Turki Aldakhil was warmly received by His Excellency Dr. Abdulla Muhammad Alraisi, Director General of the National Archives and His Excellency Abdulla Majed Al Ali, Executive Director of the National Archives. They discussed cultural issues of mutual interest and mechanisms for enhancing collaboration between the UAE National Archives and King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives and the National Center for Archives and Records in Saudi Arabia. They also discussed the importance of exchanging specialized expertise and advanced technical programs for the memory of the nation preservation and access.

His Excellency was impressed with the advanced modern systems he witnessed at the National Archives, especially the technology adopted for the preservation of rare historical documentary holdings and treasures. He thanked the National Archives for its participation in the national events of Saudi Arabia and expressed his hope for strengthening the UAE-Saudi ties in archiving and documentation fields. His Excellency also praised the National Archives adherence to all necessary precautionary measures adopted to counter and contain Covid-19 pandemic.

His Excellency Dr. Abdulla Alraisi highly appreciated the visit of His Excellency the Saudi Ambassador, and considered it an important step towards strengthening relations between the National Archives and archiving and documentation institutions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. His Excellency discussed with his guest the importance of the great upcoming archival event, namely, the Congress of the International Council on Archives, which will be hosted by Abu Dhabi next October and stressed that the leading professionals in Saudi National Archives will be at the forefront of the invitees to this event, which will be held under the theme "Empowering Knowledge Societies". His Excellency said that the ICA Congress Abu Dhabi 2021 will discuss important archival issues such as: artificial intelligence, sustainable knowledge as a basis for sustainable development, and confronting archives preservation challenges in social media.

His Excellency the Director General of the UAE National Archives accompanied His Excellency the Saudi Ambassador, in a tour of the various key National Archives Headquarters facilities and briefed him on the key projects and most important initiatives aimed at enhancing and developing archival business and profession.



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 be the National Center for Documentation and Research (NCDR), and assigning it to organize the various UAE government entities archives. In 2014, HH Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan issued Federal Law No. (1) of 2014, eventually changing its name to the National Archives.

The National Archives and the Sorbonne Announce the Start of the Study Program for the 4th Batch of the Professional Certificate in Archives and Records Management



The National Archives and Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi announced that the 4th batch of students enrolled for the Professional Certificate in Archives and Records Management started the specialized training program. The students pursue their studies in the university halls which amid enforced strict precautionary and preventive measures currently to curb the spread of Covid-19.

On this occasion, the National Archives welcomed the new batch and highlighted the extensive scientific content of the Archives and Records Management certificate, which has proved its success in building competencies and sustainable development in the UAE’s archive sectors and departments. That was well-demonstrated in qualifying graduates of the previous batches and enhancing their experiences to benefit their institutions in the field of document handling and processing and in preserving the historical legacy for generations to come in accordance with the international standards.  This, in fact, has prompted many Gulf states to follow the example of the UAE's in creating a similar specialized professional certificate program.

The National Archives pointed out that the Professional Certificate in Archives and Records Management in its 4th edition, which has more than 20 participants, aims to offer training on management of electronic documents as well as current and intermediate documents and preservation of historical records and documents. It qualifies them to take up professional jobs in archives and document management and provides them with knowledge and advanced skills to enhance their role in this field.

It is noteworthy that the professional certificate program combines six modules of intensive courses for a period of 6 weeks with an average of 30 hours for each module. The modules are as follows: General Introduction to Archives and Documents, Archiving Legislations and Standards, Current and Intermediate Documents Management, Scientific Processing of Archives, Preservation Buildings and Electronic Documents Management.

These six modules are conducted in Arabic by international professionals and experts in archives and document management. The program consists of a number of theoretical principles and practical exercises.

Those who wish to participate in the program may contact the Sorbonne University or the National Archives to learn about the enrollment terms and fees.

The National Archives  takes its "Memory of the Nation" pavilion visitors on a virtual journey to Mars

The National Archives offers its " Memory of the Nation" pavilion visitors at Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival 2020 a chance to inspect its space corner with its red color, and its terrain that mimics the Martian atmosphere and layers, in an enjoyable virtual journey with the UAE Mars project " Hope Probe" designed to explore planet Mars, in realization of an ambition and a dream of the Late Sheikh Zayed to reach and explore space.

Visitors get, through the iPad, to vividly explore a 3D experience of the Hope Probe's  journey supervised and executed by Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center throughout all its stages from design to space transmission, as visitors virtually witness the process where the Hope Probe separates from its carrier launch rocket at the launch base at the Tanegashima Space Center In Japan, where parts of the probe separate at different stages on its way to the Red Planet " Mars", then it orbits around it. This virtual technology is generally called "augmented reality" alternatively known for short as "AR", through which viewers- using the (iPad) - can vividly tour among planets, and get an interesting idea about the Hope Probe's journey.

Similarly, through virtual reality technology, known for short as "VR", visitors can read through a special telescope the quotes of both: His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces - on the limitless ambition of the UAE to reach space, and its historic achievement and realization of this goal to assume its deserved leading status at the forefront of the world's great countries.

Visitors immensely enjoy this space journey with the Hope Probe.

The space corner at the "Memory of the Nation" platform also displays to its visitors an astronaut's suit, and provides them with information on the advantages and benefits the Hope probe shall reflect on the scientific research field in the UAE and worldwide. The Hope Probe that was launched to explore planet Mars is a historic scientific achievement and an international project accomplished by highly efficient and knowledgeable Emirati cadres. The Hope Probe is tasked to provide the first ever complete picture of the Martian atmosphere, and pave the way for scientific discoveries to shape the future and enhance the UAE's prominent position in the field of Space science.

The National Archives holds the Partners Forum and presents its main achievements and future projects

The National Archives held the Partners Forum under the slogan of “Together, We Excel” where it presented its main achievements and future projects and highlighted the successful memorandums of understanding and agreements concluded with its strategic partners. The forum aimed at strengthening partnership relations between the National Archives and its strategic partners and at achieving the common objectives of maintaining sustainable quality and efficiency in building up archival assets in line with the UAE’s vision 2021. In 2020, the year of preparation for the Next Fifty, it also perceives the future prospects of the National Archives in the UAE centennial anniversary.

Mr. Farhan Al Marzouqi, Director of Corporate and Community Outreach Department at the National Archives opened the forum with a speech which he started with warm greetings and regards extended by H.E. Dr. Abdulla Mohamed Alraisi, Director General of the National Archives to all participating partners in the forum, then he stressed the National Archives high aspirations which can only be achieved through real partnerships and concerted efforts to achieve its objectives of building a modern national archiving system, and developing

its holdings, enhancing their accessibility, enriching corporate and community outreach, providing integrated research and knowledge services and a distinctive work environment.

The Director of the Corporate and Community Outreach Department appreciated and commended the results of the continuous, organized cooperation and coordination with strategic partners and the outcomes of agreements and memorandums of understanding concluded with them, most notably of which are the documents organization projects for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Presidential Affairs, Ministry of Health documents digitization and organization, Jeddah Municipality, Phase 1 of the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive project and launching specialized academic programs on archival studies (professional certificate – bachelor's degree) with Sorbonne University.

Mr. Farhan spoke about the strategic plan projects that shall be launched soon such as the specialized academic programs on archival studies (master's degree) with Sorbonne University, digitization of the Crown Prince Court archives, digitization of rare Arabic books collection in collaboration with New York University and Phase 2 of the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive project.

In line with the National Archives strict adherence to all necessary precautionary measures, the Forum was virtually held and attended by a large number of strategic partners where a presentation was delivered on National Archives history, vision, mission, objectives and main duties. The forum also presented photos of many fruitful memorandums of understanding and agreements concluded by the National Archives with its strategic partners who were honored during the forum.

Mrs. Balqees Mohamed Al Nakhbi, Head of Strategic Planning and Project Management Unit, tackled the National Archives strategic plan, and highlighted its history and development as well as the stages it has undergone since its inception in 1968 under the directives of the founding leader Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. She discussed the National Archives objectives of building a modern national archiving system, developing the National Archives holdings and enhancing their accessibility, enriching corporate and community outreach, providing integrated research and knowledge services and providing a distinctive work environment. She also shed light on the achievements accomplished in each of these objectives.

She tackled the most significant strategic plan projects that are in progress, namely: developing a master's degree program to be launched in September 2021, running the National Archives Center for Preservation and Restoration in full capacity, devising a digital preservation strategy through which a road map shall be prepared to indicate strategic tendencies towards preserving the digital content at the National Archives and government entities, implementing Phase 2 of the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive and the Digital Depository project aiming at developing the Emirates Library management. In addition to completing phase 3 of the oral history interviews transcription, issuing Sheikh Zayed Illustrated Encyclopedia, hosting the ICA Congress Abu Dhabi in October 2021, producing a number of films on the National Archives role in preserving the Memory of the Nation, assessing the National Archives according to the Government Excellence Model – Phase 2, implementing an electronic system for current, intermediate or historical documents and records management and creating a digital platform for the Strategic Planning Office.

The National Archives celebrates the Arabic Language Day and organizes a lecture on the language of the Holy Quran

The National Archives organized a lecture entitled: “Arabic, the Language of the Holy Qur’an, Translation Versus Exegesis” in celebration of the UN Arabic Language Day. The lecture shed light on the UAE’s interest in the Arabic language prompted by its concern to preserve the Arab identity. The lecture demonstrated this interest by quoting the words of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE: “Arabic language is the heart and shield of national identity, the soul of the nation, the essence of its authenticity and the repository of its thought and heritage.”

The National Archives pays special attention to the Arabic language as it safeguards the authentic values preserved throughout all its publications which document the glorious history and the deep-rooted heritage of the UAE and the Gulf region. Thus, the National Archives has taken the initiative to enlighten all its staff members about the value of the Arabic language and its rules, and urged them to read, organize workshops and lectures in the Arabic language and to use it in correspondences and media.

The lecture is delivered by Prof. Dr. Saddik Mohamed Gouhar, the Translation Expert in the National Archives. He pointed out the distinguished initiatives adopted by the UAE aiming at preserving the Arabic language, and underscored the importance of Arabic as the language of the Holy Qur’an and the significance of translating it since no more than 20% of Muslims speak Arabic and read the Qur’an in Arabic, whereas the remaining majority of Muslims study the translated Quranic texts. Since Arabic is a rich language in rhetorical, artistic, phonological and emotional elements unlike other languages, translators face many difficulties in translating the Holy Qur’an into other languages, including English.

The lecture focused on the beauty of the Arabic language and the linguistic inimitability in the Holy Qur’an, as well as the lexical, stylistic and rhetorical challenges with which translators are confronted when dealing with the Qur’an texts. The speaker gave examples of some Qur’anic verses which include words that translators find perplexing because of their diverse linguistic and rhetorical connotations. He gave examples of various translations of certain terms into English such as submissive, whispering, hissing, assuming the throne, barren, etc. The lecture also shed light on the linguistic inimitability of the Qur’an and the challenges and problems which constitute difficulties in semantics and structures. Furthermore, it emphasized that translation, at times , may lead to the loss of some stylistic features of Qur’anic verses, and it even gets harder when lexical alternatives are not available in addition to the failure in conveying certain meanings and the difficulty of translating figures of speech .

The lecture, which was organized via the Zoom application in line with the current necessary precautionary measures followed by all the National Archives’ staff members, discussed ways to improve the translations of the Holy Qur’an, stressing the importance of avoiding the ideological nature based on strict interpretations.