In the year of Zayed, while celebrating its Golden Jubilee

The Emirates Library offers new services and initiatives that bring it closer to researchers.

The Emirates Library at the National Archives of the UAE is a specialized research library, established in 1968, which provides services to various clients such as decision-makers, researchers and graduate students, in the UAE and abroad. These services include facilitating internal and external access and lending, access to electronic resources, and photocopying services in accordance with copyrights. The Emirates Library focuses on topics relating to the UAE, Gulf region and the world, and follows the most widely used classification system of the Library of Congress.

As the Emirates Library celebrates its Golden Jubilee, it launched new initiatives in line with the National Archives' goals, expanding its services and making them available to clients to best serve them and ensure their maximum benefit. These initiatives include: extending the Library's working hours, launching external lending service, the library's open week celebrating the Month of Reading and the Arab Library Day which falls on the 10th of March every year, launching Liwa journal's electronic Index, indexing of articles on the UAE in Arab periodicals, the UAE Newspapers Archive, university dissertations and articles, allowing access to ready subject guides, and the set up of Arab and foreign sources of information.

The Emirates Library has a reading hall with an open-shelving system in line with leading international standards. It offers visitors all services and facilities, including modern computers that allow access to library holdings. It also provides research booths and Wi-Fi service.

The Reading Week in the Month of Reading :

The Emirates Library at the National Archives has organized an open week for reading under the slogan: "Reader Employee for a Smart Archiving Institution", to help establish the National Archives vision in terms of continuous development, and to transform the Emirates Library into a preferred destination for researchers interested in the history of the UAE and the Gulf region, providing access to their information sources through utilizing the best available technical solutions and practices, including training of researchers, and educating them on information access, assessment and utilization.

During the open week for reading, the Emirates Library opened its doors to all employees, shedding light on its holdings, facilities and services, and acquainting them with the facilities it provides for readers and researchers. By allocating this open week for the Emirates Library, the National Archives aimed at providing library services and allowing employees to benefit from its holdings and facilities in order to develop their capabilities and increase their work productivity, also to acquaint them with humanity achievements in the field of knowledge and to enhance their sense of creativity and innovation.

During the open week, the Emirates Library administration hosted staff members on guided tours and briefed them on information items related to the inspirational biography of the Founding Leader Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, his great role in establishing the UAE and building the Federation, and  sources related to the biographies of the UAE great leaders and prominent men. The library visitors were also briefed on books dealing with the history and heritage of the UAE, its cultural role, its links with neighboring civilizations, and written accounts of travelers and explorers who landed in the Arabian Gulf.

The National Archives Launches the Electronic Index of (Liwa) at Emirates Library: 

The National Archives took advantage of the Emirates Library open week in the Year of Zayed, and in the Reading Month to launch the Liwa Journal's electronic Index.  Liwa is a scientific journal published by the National Archives twice a year in both Arabic and English. The National Archives allows free access to the full texts of the Liwa articles in PDF form through the library's Online Catalog (OPAC). This emphasizes the National Archives' keenness to provide all possible solutions to researchers to access its holdings and benefit from them. Liwa Journal focuses mainly on the history and achievements of the Founding Leader Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and the progress march he led since 1946 when he was the Ruler's representative in the Eastern Province. Since Liwa's research is mainly concerned with the history, heritage and archeology of the UAE and the Gulf region, it focuses on the history of the great transformation and advancement witnessed by the UAE at the hands of the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. When the National Archives intended to issue Liwa Journal, the goal was to publish a balanced journal with highly distinguished content, that reflects the history of the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf region in order to achieve the National Archives' mission of establishing historical awareness and promoting and enhancing national identity (according to its first edition's editorial of June 2009 by the Editor-in-chief, HE Dr. Abdulla Mohammed Alraisi, Director General of the National Archives), Thus the electronic Index was launched so that researchers and clients from all over the world could use the journal's content and benefit from it.  Therefore, articles published in (Liwa) are available in full text in a (pdf) form  on its link  in the Emirates Library's online catalog. The National Archives is keen to update the electronic index in order to maximize the benefits of researchers and specialists all over the world.

Emirates Library is the destination for researchers on the history and heritage of the UAE and the region:

The Emirates Library has thousands of printed and electronic sources, integrated collections of references, dissertations, rare books, Arabic and foreign periodicals, and various electronic books and databases online subscriptions. It has a wealth of specialized books, main fundamental books that deal with many aspects relating to the UAE, as well as topics and issues relating to the GCC countries. The library's acquisitions include biographies, atlases including the world's largest Atlas, dictionaries, encyclopedias, and original rare books among others. The library's Information resources are in both Arabic and English, with some material in other languages such as French, German, Persian, Dutch, Portuguese, etc.

The total number of indexed material of the library's holdings according to the latest statistics exceeds one hundred thousand items, excluding the UAE Newspapers’ Archive collections, Arab and foreign periodicals and electronic resources collections. Last year (2017), and in order to achieve the strategic objective of enhancing the accessibility to National Archives collections for researchers, the Emirates Library's administration has worked hard to upgrade and promote information services for researchers in the UAE and abroad.



Emirates Library Initiatives:

As initiatives are among the most important principles and pillars of success, the Emirates Library has been keen to introduce further initiatives that increase its acquisitions and services accessibility to researchers to maximize their benefit. These initiatives include:

- Extending the Library's working hours and launching external lending service for researchers:

since the beginning of the "Year of Zayed", the Emirates Library has extended its working hours to be from 8 am to 8 pm, from Sunday to Wednesday weekly, and from 8 am to 3 pm on Thursdays to allow researchers to utilize its premises, facilities and services the longest possible time. Researchers were very pleased with the decision, and visited the library intensively and regularly.

In continuation to this effort, the Emirates Library has also launched an external lending service for researchers to meet their need for library books that are available for external lending. Researchers who are registered members of the Library can benefit from this external lending service. The lending duration and materials vary according to the permission granted to researchers in accordance with the applied lending policy.

The library also provides reference and information services to researchers, including: providing the researcher with a comprehensive bibliography on the research subject, on his/ her request, whether in person, or through e-mail, or the subject guides in the Online Catalog (OPAC), and training him/ her on research methods of the library and databases' automated catalog.


- Allowing access to ready subject guides:

The Emirates Library has prepared a set of subject guides related to the UAE and topics related to the National Archives' activities, available on the online catalog at the following link: http://library.na.ae. Extensive tabulations were conducted in the main index form to enable researchers and clients to easily utilize it online.

- Building a collection of foreign information resources:

More than a year ago, the Emirates Library started cataloging the most important open source foreign information resources relating to UAE issues and providing full access to the full texts through its links on its Online Catalog (OPAC). These open resources include dissertations, reports, articles, government publications, and others. They exceeded 3,100 resources.


- UAE Newspapers Archive:

The Emirates Library takes pride in its rich newspaper archive, and allows its visiting researchers, academics and students access to the printed version of the most prominent UAE newspapers such as Al Ittihad, Al Bayan, Al Khaleej, Gulf News and others. It is a semi-complete archive that has been bound and made available to the public.

- Dissertations collection:

This includes a collection of the most important dissertations and university articles issued by major international universities, relating to the history and heritage of the UAE and the Gulf region. The library has for a long time acquired a series of university dissertations related to the UAE, from the American University of Beirut (AUB) and has made them available and accessible to researchers at the Reading Room.

- Indexing of articles in Arab periodicals articles regarding the UAE:

The Emirates Library continues indexing Arabic articles on "United Arab Emirates", published in Arab periodicals and available in its stores, and those which it receives regularly, these amount to (48) Arabic periodicals. The main purpose of this technical initiative is to provide access to important articles on the UAE, and to facilitate researchers’ access to periodicals to avoid wasting their precious time. The accomplished work included allowing accessibility of bibliographic records of all indexed Arabic articles in the library's Online Catalog (OPAC). According to the latest statistics, the number of articles has exc

Celebrating the Year of Zayed and within the framework of the (100) initiative

The National Archives participates in historical photos of Sheikh Zayed in national occasions and events  


Within the framework of the “Centenary” initiative launched by it to celebrate the Year of Zayed, the National Archives participates in a number of historical photo exhibitions of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan - may God rest his soul in peace - in a large number of events held outside the country and on national occasions. Thus, these exhibitions open pages A mission from the history of the exceptional leader, Sheikh Zayed, and the consolidation of his values and exploits in the hearts of generations; He - may God have mercy on him - spared no effort to build the United Arab Emirates, whose people and residents enjoy prosperity and well-being.

The exhibitions organized by the National Archives in the Year of Zayed aim to highlight its documentary stock, and to display historical images that consolidate the values of the Year of Zayed slogan: respect, wisdom, human development, and sustainability. These axes are clearly reflected in the contents of the documentary exhibitions that it works to communicate. To all audiences across the country.

All exhibitions organized by the National Archives witnessed a distinguished turnout from dignitaries, event organizers, participants and visitors, and the public in general. They are praised for the role of the National Archives in preserving the memory of the Emirates and important aspects of the glorious biography of the founding leader. As the contents of the exhibitions were able to provide visitors with important historical facts about the immortal legacy of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, which was manifested in his efforts to achieve growth and prosperity like no other in the world, then his achievements and wisdom, and his good endeavors for the sake of human development, and his visions that preceded his era within the framework of National sustainability, and these supreme values have led him - may God have mercy on him - to be an example and role model for honorable people locally, in the Gulf, in the Arab world and globally.

The National Archives has recently organized a number of exhibitions of historical photographs, most notably in forums outside the country, such as the Cairo International Book Fair and the Riyadh International Book Fair 2018, and on many national occasions in which pages from the history of the founding leader were documented. These exhibitions were distributed for participation in the Emirates Transport Corporation in Dubai, and in The Health Authority in Dubai, the Department of Finance in Dubai, the University of Sharjah - Kalba branch, the headquarters of the General Women's Union in Abu Dhabi, the Department of Education and Knowledge in Abu Dhabi, the Al Reem School in Abu Dhabi, and many other places.

The participating exhibitions contain historical photographs that give visitors and participants the opportunity to learn about the role of the founding leader in building the United Arab Emirates and his immortal imprints on its glorious history and bright present. This is capable of reinforcing loyalty and belonging to the homeland, and consolidating the national identity among the people of society, which is at the core of the National Archives' message.

The National Archives is keen to participate in these events because of their importance, as they would bridge the distance between the services of the National Archives, which preserves the memory of the nation, and the beneficiaries, and inform this diverse audience of some of the National Archives' holdings of Sheikh Zayed.

It is worth noting that the national "hundred" initiative, in which the National Archives participates in the Year of Zayed, works to shed light on aspects of the life of the immortal leader, Sheikh Zayed, who reunified and established a nation on solid foundations. Believing in the importance of human wealth in building, developing and preserving the nation's gains and renaissance.

The projects of the national "hundred" initiative stem from the National Archives' mission, vision, and goals, to reinforce the youth with the values of Sheikh Zayed and immortalize his exploits among all members of society and among the generations he is keen to contribute to their national upbringing. At the same time, the "hundred" projects prove what he enjoyed. The immortal leader with farsightedness was evident in his directives to establish the National Archives in order to preserve the memory of the nation and document the history of the Emirates.

The National Archives, in its plan - when it launched the "Centenary" initiative to consolidate the values of the Year of Zayed - made use of all forms of historical records and documents; So that the initiative comes in line with its objectives, mission, and basic tasks. Documentary and historical exhibitions contribute to shedding light on Zayed’s achievements and the most important events, and introduce the current generation to what he presented. For this, the National Archives employs several tools to present Zayed’s history; It provides the public with images that recall the efforts devoted by the founding leader to build, develop and prosper the UAE.

Re-election of Dr Abdulla Alraisi ,Director-General of the National Archives of the United Arab Emirates as the Chairperson of Memory of the World program


 The International Advisory Committee of UNESCO's Memory of the World program has re-elected Dr Abdulla Alraisi , Director-General of the National Archives of the United Arab Emirates , as the Chairperson of the program for the next two years recognizing the leadership of the UAE in preserving documentary heritage.

An extraordinary session of the International Advisory Committee (IAC) took place last week. Called by the UNESCO Director-General, the meeting was aimed at advancing the important work of the Committee, including sharpening the focus of the MoW Programme in response to the need for building capacities for preserving and accessing documentary heritage in Member States with priority given to Africa, Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

During the meeting, the IAC members decided to complete the IAC-led review documents by 5 April 2018 in order to allow for UNESCO’s Member States to consult the documents as part of the comprehensive review process for which UNESCO is expected to submit an action plan at the 204th session of the Executive Board in April.

In taking forward the discussion on refocusing the work of the MoW Programme, there was unanimity that the Programme needs to pay greater attention to setting up national MoW committees as a viable framework for raising public awareness of the growing importance of preserving documentary heritage.

The meeting agreed that, while the MoW registers were the most well-known aspect of the Programme, there was even greater need to highlight the rich diversity of documentary heritage that did not find its way into the registers – all this as part of a wide-ranging strategy to support national and global efforts for sustainable management and preservation of invaluable documentary heritage.

In this regard, the IAC members fully supported the efforts by UNESCO’s MoW Secretariat to hold a series of regional consultations in Africa and the Arab States on the implementation of the 2015 Recommendation concerning the preservation of, and access to, documentary heritage, including in digital form. Digital records are essential now for the effective administration of all governments but present a major technological challenge in ensuring their reliability and integrity long into the future. 

Dr. Abdulla expressed his support for the planned capacity-building events aimed at prioritizing the programme’s focus on disaster risk reduction and management as a strategic framework for preserving documentary heritage, especially in LDCs and SIDS.

The 14 members of the IAC are appointed by the Director-General of UNESCO and now include:

Dr Abdulla Alraisi (United Arab Emirates)

Mr Jussi Nuroteva (Finland)

Ms Maria de la Luz Rodriguez Olivares (Spain)

Mr Dietrich Schuller (Austria)

Ms Boryana Hristova (Bulgaria)

Ms Irena Kriviene (Lithuania)

Ms Catherine Alice Bloch Gerschel (Mexico)

Ms Rita Tjien Fooh (Surinam)

Mr Ramesch Chandra Gaur (India)

Mr David Fricker (Australia)

Ms Dina Youssef (Egypt)

Mr Jamaâ Baida (Morocco)

Mr Papa Momar Diop (Senegal)

Ms Victoria Okojie (Nigeria)


UNESCO launched the MoW Programme in 1992 to guard against collective amnesia through the preservation of valuable archive holdings and library collections all over the world. In so doing, the programme also ensures wider access to such heritage. The programme is thus intended to protect documentary heritage, and to help networks of experts to exchange information and raise resources for the preservation of, and the access to, documentary and archival collections of valuable records.

The National Archives participates in “Riyadh International Book Fair 2018” under the umbrella of the UAE Pavilion  

Based on deep historical ties between the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia in various fields, the National Archives of the UAE participates in Riyadh International Book Fair 2018 under the umbrella of the UAE Pavilion and the supervision of the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development;  thus confirming its role in enriching cultural forums and communities with its documented historical collections. By this participation, the National Archives' interest extends beyond the UAE borders to provide fellow cultural circles with data and information that documents the history of the UAE and its historical relations with neighboring civilizations. It also documents important details in the history and heritage of the UAE and the Gulf region.

The National Archives is proud of this participation due to the fact that the UAE is the guest of honor at the Riyadh International Book Fair. Indeed, this demonstrates the strongly established and growing relations in various fields, under the wise leadership of the two brotherly countries.

The National Archive takes advantage of its participation in this major cultural event in Riyadh to enhance cooperation and strengthen relations in the field of exchanging experiences with those responsible for documenting and archiving of the history and heritage of Saudi Arabia, particularly King Abdul Aziz Foundation (Darah) in Riyadh. 

This participation is also an opportunity for the National Archives to coordinate with the General Secretariat of the GCC Centers for Documents and Studies, headed by H.E. Dr. Fahad Al Sammari, for further cooperation in the field of archiving, documentation and preserving common history and heritage. Moreover, NA wishes to enhance its effective presence in international forums for archiving and documentation, and to provide researchers with the required research services.

The National Archives attaches great importance to this participation as it contributes to the cultural integration between the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, and  gives cultural circles access to the NA collections, which document the past of the UAE and its historical relations with neighboring civilizations as well as important details in the history and heritage of the UAE and the Gulf region.

The National Archives, through its participation and collaboration, looks forward to deepening the integration and cooperation between the two brotherly countries based on common history and civilization. NA documents and historical records affirm the strong ties and fruitful cooperation between the UAE and Saudi Arabia in various fields. NA continues its efforts to strengthen relations in the field of historical research with many specialized Saudi authorities.

The participation of the National Archives in the Riyadh International Book Fair is very important because it allows intellectuals from all over the world to learn about the UAE’s national memory and the true and documented history and heritage of the UAE and the Gulf region.  

Within the framework of the Centennial Initiative and in support of its community responsibility

The National Archives holds Book Reading Sessions to Hospitalized Children 

As part of the Centennial Initiative launched by the National Archives of the United Arab Emirates to celebrate the Year of Zayed, a specialized team from the Educational Programs Section pays visits to some hospitals and particularly to long-term hospitalized children sections to help alleviate their pain through inspiring and motivating book-reading sessions. They involve reading documented books about the late founding leader Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan whose characteristic determination and willpower turned the desert into lush green land and created the modern UAE that takes pride in its civilization worldwide.

The National Archives focused its attention on this segment of the society driven by its belief in the worth of the ailing children and the importance of developing their knowledge and awareness of their homeland history and heritage. NA seeks to expand these kids’ information and hopes to speed up their recovery and their early integration into their society through these guided reading sessions on the history of the sage of the Arabs and his values that awaken hope in their hearts.

The National Archives classifies this project as a commitment to community responsibility, which is a priority for its institutional practices and functions because of its overall positive impact, especially for this segment that needs special care and attention.

The National Archives confirms that the Centennial Initiative that is launched to celebrate Sheikh Zayed's 100th anniversary will highlight his achievements and unlimited giving. He was known worldwide for his great role in human and place development. In this sense, the National Archives seeks to extend the projects of the national Centennial Initiative reaching out to all segments of society and to those people who had experienced Sheikh Zayed’s philanthropy.

This national project, which reaches out to long-term inpatient kids, seeks to ease their pain, help them to overcome their ordeal, instill them with hope and positive energy, and strengthens their belonging to the homeland and loyalty to their wise leadership.

In order to perform this national task perfectly, the National Archives has chosen a team of educators who can alleviate the pain of children, thus allowing reading and knowledge to have a positive impact on their lives and shifting their attention away from their illness. The colored illustrations and short documentaries support these book-reading sessions reinforcing the ailing children’s information.

It is noteworthy that the Centennial Initiative, which the National Archives launched at the beginning of the Year of Zayed, informs generations of important pages of Sheikh Zayed’s history and values. It introduces the achievements of this extraordinary leader, who spared no effort to build a prosperous country whose people enjoy welfare and prosperity. Furthermore, it highlights his achievements, wisdom and his good endeavors in order to develop humans. Indeed, Sheikh Zayed was a role model of construction and giving.

Within the framework of its “Centennial” Initiative in Celebration of the

“Year of Zayed”

The National Archives Participates in the “Health and Fitness Fun Festival” with Photos of the Founding Leader and Activities for the Children

Within the framework of its “Centennial” initiative and in in celebration of “Year of Zayed” - the National Archives of the United Arab Emirates participated in the “Health and Fitness Fun Festival” under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union (GWU), Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (FDF) at Umm Al Emarat Park in the period March 7-10 2018. The participation included a photograph exhibition of the founding leader Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan that depicts his keen interests in sports, educational workshops for children and some useful modern innovative games. 

The National Archives, in coordination with Abu Dhabi Center for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (ACTVET) the festival organizer – displayed photographs of the founding leader Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in smart and innovative ways. By this participation, which is considered as one of the projects of the centennial initiative launched to celebrate the year of Zayed - the National Archives would like to remind the public in the festival of some of the national attitudes known about Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan when he was leading the process of building the nation. As the Health and Fitness Fun Festival aims to raise awareness of health and alleviate the spread of diseases in society, therefore the exhibition in this festival focused on the efforts of Sheikh Zayed in the field of sports, which received a great attention during his reign. He contributed in promoting the sports movement in the newly emerging state at the time. Sheikh Zayed's visions on sports are still considered the corner stone for officials, stakeholders, athletes and those who are concerned with the development of sports in all its games.

Sheikh Zayed's photographs in the festival show that sports has taken part of his lifetime and the boards of clubs of football and other games have received his generous support therefore they became more organized and well developed.

The National Archives’ exhibitions aim to promote Zayed's values of respect, wisdom, building man and sustainability. The National Archives seeks to use its knowledge treasures to spread the culture of role model and founding leader, documentary heritage and preservation of history.

The National Archives enriches the Health and Fitness Fun Festival with children's educational workshops. The workshops revolve around the National Archives booklet “Watani Al Emarat”, which acquaints children with the history of the UAE through interactive games that enrich their skills and knowledge of their national history. The diversified topics of the booklet include: genealogy, ways of documenting the past, some of the UAE attractions such as castles and fortresses, and the biographies of the founding fathers, the first of them is the founding leader Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and the story of the Union flag and other national issues that promote loyalty to the homeland and the belonging to its wise leadership and instill the national values among the young people. As part of the “centennial” initiative, the National Archives continues to provide the children and students with innovative and useful games such as “Collective Panels”, which develops children's knowledge, increases their historical and heritage information. In its participation platform in the festival, the National Archives provides the children with symbolic gifts.

As part of the “Centennial Initiative” and to enhance students’ personality and moral values

The National Archives initiates a series of workshops on the project of “Zayed in 100 Story”. 

In preparation for the national educational initiative “Zayed, 100 Story”, which is part of the national “Centennial” initiative launched by the National Archives in celebration of the Year of Zayed, and in line with the fifth edition of its project “Student Historians’ Club”, which aims at teaching people about the Founding Leader, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the NA has initiated a series of workshops for school students in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, to inform students of the requirements which should be met in their stories. 

This national educational initiative, which is one of the results of the NA’s “Centennial” initiative, aims at enhancing belonging to the homeland and loyalty to the leadership, developing students’ personality, fostering their moral values and high principles and helping them with patriotic writings and scientific research methodology.

Through this national educational initiative, the NA emphasizes the importance of highlighting the efforts, achievements and values of the Founding Leader Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and opening new pages of UAE history. This will enhance the national and behavioral values, as well as knowledge and community values of school students who will build the future of the homeland and preserve its accomplishments.

Within the context of this initiative, school students write stories about the Founding Leader, by presenting the knowledge they gained and the stories they learnt about Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan through extensive readings, oral history interviews, and courses, activities and events held by the NA.

The workshops, held by experts and specialists from the NA in its premises and in some schools in the UAE, are aimed to spread awareness among students of the importance of concentrating on the main character of the story (the Late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan), the availability of story components, balance of events in the materials provided by students, which should be supported with national and moral values, written in correct and attractive language, and should fulfill the requirements of a successful story.

The workshops also provide participating students with the requirements to participate in the initiative in which a large number of UAE school students, ranging from Grade 8 to Grade 12, are competing. In the workshops, students are practically trained on story writing, its methods and how reality overlaps with imagination. The workshops inform students of oral history as a research approach concerned with studying the past as it is preserved in memory through narration and make them aware of its role in preserving the UAE’s history and heritage and how to benefit from it in writing the stories.

It is worth mentioning that a large number of participating students have visited the NA premises to enrich their knowledge with important information about the UAE’s history and Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. They started their visit by an induction tour of Sheikh Zayed Hall, which is a permanent exhibition that contains a collection of manuscripts, documents, photographs and maps on the history of the UAE. They learnt about the UAE’s past before the Union, the nation building process and the foundation of the Union. The students visited the Emirates Library, which is a specialized research library that is part of the NA’s scientific and research program. The students have benefited from the resources and references that deals with the history of the UAE in details and the role of Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan in establishing the UAE and its blessed Union and in promoting the welfare of its citizens and residents. The students also toured the Customer Happiness Hall, which is designated for receiving researchers and students, and contains the most recent equipment and software that facilitate research on the heritage and history of the UAE and Gulf region, and provide access to historical documents and records retained by the NA. The students have watched a 3-D documentary film about the UAE in the past and present at Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Hall.   

In conjunction with the “Year of Zayed” and the “Month of Reading”:


The National Archives Organizes the National Carnival "The UAE Reads… the UAE Advances" in Cooperation with "The UAE Ministry of Education".


In the framework of the Centennial Initiative launched by the National Archives to commemorate the Year of Zayed, the National Archives organized a national carnival under the theme "The UAE Reads … The UAE Advances" in cooperation with the Ministry of Education. The carnival tours several Emirates and regions, starting from Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Al Dhafra, all the way to Dubai, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah. Through this event, the National Archives aims to achieve its national vision of the "Centennial Initiative " it launched in celebration of the Year of Zayed, while confirming its role in educating future generations and acquainting them with the legacy of the Founding Leader the Late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, to draw lessons and morals, and to continue to build the nation under our wise leadership.

The National Archives focuses on the implementation of the "Centennial Initiative" projects for students in the course of its keenness to strengthen the culture of knowledge among the UAE nationals. Each project of this initiative adds to the series of its cultural, intellectual and knowledge achievements launched during the Year of Zayed, and comes as an expression of its interest in the legacy of the Founding Leader who greatly cared about building the human being as the basis of any progress, development or success.

The carnival includes a number of ceremonial events, such as reading workshops, and the innovative group panels’ game, during which awards and gifts are distributed. The National Archives goes beyond that to focus on the students' talents, such as reading and public speaking, storytelling, and acting where students perform the characters of the stories they read.

The National Archive attaches great importance to reading as part of its interest in the national upbringing of students; since reading is the basis for education, which every student needs. It is also the basis for science and civilizations, and a means of instilling positive citizenship concepts in future generation. .

The National Archives places the book (Zayed from Challenge to Union) and other books of its publications that document the various aspects of the illustrious life and journey of the Founding Leader, at the forefront of books that construct the reading material for students, in order to acquaint them with the values and merits of the Founding Father, and to promote loyalty to the wise leadership and reinforce their sense of belonging to their homeland.

The National Archives believes students come at the forefront of the community segments to benefit from the "Centennial Initiative", since many of the activities of this initiative are aimed at educating them about the history and heritage of the UAE, and acquainting them with the founding leader's achievements which help instill in them patriotism and reinforce their loyalty to their homeland and its wise leadership.

The carnival starts in Abu Dhabi at the beginning of March 2018, and will be held at the Qawassim Corniche in Ras Al Khaimah on March 6th, at Mubazzarah in Al Ain on March 11th, at Al Marfa Park in Al Dhafra on March 18th, at Dubai Design District in Dubai on March 25th, and finally at Kalbaa in Sharjah on March 29th.

Having reviewed its agenda and national role in preserving and providing access to the Memory of the Nation

The National Archives receives a high-level Saudi delegation

The National Archives of the UAE has received a high-level Saudi delegation headed by H.H. Prince Sultan Bin Fahad Bin Nasser Al Saud, Adviser to H.R.H. Prince Sultan Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz, President of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage. The visit aimed at reviewing the historical documents at the National Archives that document the history and heritage of the UAE and Arabian Peninsula, which are available  to researchers of the history of the UAE and the region.

During his tour of the NA, H.H. Prince Sultan was accompanied by H.E. Majid Al Mehairi, Executive Director, and H.E. Abdulaziz Al Raisi, Administrative Development Adviser. He listened to a detailed explanation about the historical documents and records and became acquainted with the NA’s role in collecting and preserving the Memory of the Nation for future generations.

H.H. Prince Sultan Bin Fahad Bin Nasser Al Saud has reviewed the archives of photographs and historical documents, which highlights the leading role of the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan in founding the Union and building the UAE. He was also briefed about the agenda of events and activities organized by the NA. He appreciated the NA’s role in preservation, documentation and archiving, and discussed with the NA’s management ways of cooperation and exchange of experiences in the fields of mutual interest.

It is worth mentioning that the visit began with an induction tour of Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Hall, which is a permanent exhibition that contains a collection of manuscripts, documents, photographs and maps on the history of the UAE. The guest Delegation visited the Emirates Library, which is a specialized research library that is part of the NA’s scientific and research program. The library provides researchers, students and scholars with access to its rich and specialized paper and electronic collections. The Delegation also toured the Customer Happiness Hall, which is designated for receiving researchers, and contains the most recent equipment and software that facilitate research on the heritage and history of the UAE and Gulf region, and allow access to historical documents retained by the NA. The guest Delegation watched a 3-D documentary film about the UAE in the past and present at Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Hall.

The National Archives concludes a training course on “Presentation and Public Speaking Skills”

The National Archives of the UAE has concluded a training course on “Presentation and Public Speaking Skills” that was organized for its staff at the aim of spreading knowledge among them, developing their presentation and influencing skills, using gestures and training them on the tone of voice to deliver the required message.

This course has received a lot of attention from the staff due to its importance in developing their skills and getting them acquainted with the best practices in various fields that serve the desired objectives, and improve the staff performance in a way that would be reflected on the quality of the services provided by the NA.

The training course delivered by the Research Expert and Lecturer, Abdullatif Al-Sayyadi, tackled the definition and objectives of presentation and public speaking, qualities and duties of the presenter, how to develop the convincing and influencing skills, body language techniques and eloquence. It also highlighted the techniques to overcome fears of public speaking, time management skills and the importance of generating enthusiasm among the attendees and influencing them positively. Moreover, it identified strategies for acquiring effective communication skills and promoting self-confidence.

The “Presentation and Public Speaking Skills” course held at the NA premises was characterized by combining  theoretical and practical aspects in order to enhance and consolidate the information and skills that have been achieved, which would help to  overcome all communication obstacles.

This course is part of the NA’s project “Partners in Knowledge”, which aims to exchange knowledge and experiences among employees; a strategic project that is keen to achieve self-sufficiency in training, and carried out by specialized staff. It includes a program rich with workshops and training courses on various topics related to the NA’s duties and workflow.

The Latest of the NA Publications

The Petroleum Gulf

The Discovery and Development of Offshore Oil in the

United Arab Emirates

The book “The Petroleum Gulf” - published by the National Archives of the United Arab Emirates in Arabic and English – gives an account of the details of the discovery and development of offshore oil fields in the UAE. It monitors the emergence of the oil industry in the maritime areas since its early beginnings up to its modern operations and the human stories at its core. The book points out that oil has come at the exact time in the Trucial Coast; it brought a new wealth that replaced the ancient pearl wealth and had exceeded all expectations.

The book also tells the story of the people, the politics behind the first offshore oil discovery, its development, its impact on the country's relations with its neighbors, and monitors the recent oil discoveries in the Arabian Gulf, which form a key chapter in the modern history of the United Arab Emirates; as it started to have modern cities and became a hub for regional trade, thanks to the oil wealth. The book indicates that many books gave accounts of oil histories that tend to deal with the offshore exploration in a few paragraphs, and focus on the onshore oil discoveries instead. Remarkably, the industry took to the open sea in less than a century ago; this fascinating book (with 282 pages) has much to tell about the transformation of the UAE from a traditional society into a modern, prosperous state.

The book indicates that the Arabian Gulf encompasses 55% to 68% of the world’s oil reserves and more than 40% of the gas reserves. However, the Arabian Gulf has its own mysteries; the British authorities saw that the end of World War I, was not promising in terms of oil. All evidences indicated the existence of a “floating pitch at sea” and with the belief that searching for oil is no more than gambling, the interest of some companies in the geology of the Arabian Gulf had increased.

The book shows that geologists have visited the Gulf islands one by one, collected samples from them, and examined the rock samples; they found that the black color of the shelves in some islands was caused by the sea rather than the oil deposits.

Negotiations took place in the Trucial Coast to obtain oil concessions for long periods. When drilling began, the search for water was the top priority for the then Ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Shakhbut. Oil surveys began only in 1936 when geologists made one visit to Sir Bani Yas Island.

The discovery of oil was delayed, and in the mid-1930s, as there was a huge oil reserve in elsewhere in the Middle East. Oil supply in the market increased considerably and that slowed down its industry in the whole world. Thus, the decline in oil prices and the meager financial incentives to the companies delayed the opening of new areas for exploration, and larger companies sought to strengthen, their status while the smaller ones failed to do so.

In May 1940, a new and strong evidence of the huge oil wealth in the Arabian Gulf - emerged. Iraq Petroleum Company and its subsidiary companies were leading the western oil ambitions in the region. After the lengthy negotiations, agreements were concluded for the exploration concessions. Sheikh Saeed, Ruler of Dubai, was the first to sign an agreement on May 22, 1937, which granted the company a 75-year concession. On January 3, 1939, Abu Dhabi signed a new 75-year agreement.

The offshore explorations followed the onshore oil discoveries, and oil prospectors were guided by features such as seepages, anticlines and salt domes. They were armed with no more than a hammer and a pair of strong boots. Marine operations could cost five times as much as those on land.

The book reviews the history of offshore oil exploration and its methods, equipment and costs, and stressed that the year 1947 often seen as the starting point of the modern era of offshore oil exploration, is significant for another reason. The book describes the status of the islands in the Arabian Gulf States, and they were neglected. Then the book shows how they received attention and how each emirate attempted to establish its rights to its islands. The book also enumerates the disputes over the ownership of the islands and the maritime boundaries. In this regard, the book mentions that when Saudi Arabia declared its sovereignty over the seabed, the field was open for Aramco for offshore oil exploration as per its concession. The oilmen discovered “Safaniya” field, the largest offshore oil reservoir. In 1962, the field produced 350000 barrels a day. This field remains the second largest field in the world.

 In the 1950s, a company's geologists visited Abu Dhabi and found it rather more jaded and less populated than before as the result of Great Depression and the impact of cultured Japanese pearls that had hit the sheikhdom hard. Pearl diving trips were launched from Abu Dhabi during the diving seasons.

The survey was conducted under the waters of the Gulf, and “BP” filmed it in a documentary film with the title: “Station 307”. The film shows the suffering of the surveyors because of fear of sharks, sea snakes, and sawfish in the waters of the Gulf, and how they obtained the samples of rocks by hammers and nails. The diving crew and surveyors described their journey in the Gulf waters as having a special attraction that makes people lose their sense of time. The survey resulted in the selection of a site to dig a test well.

The book contains illustrations and photographs of the ship that brought the surveyors and some of its crewmembers, the anti-shark cage, the rock samples extracted from the bottom of the Gulf, some geographical maps and some plans of the discovered oil fields. The book has an appendix that gives information on the abbreviations, real names and dates of establishment of the local and international companies working in the oil industry.

ADMA had many discoveries on Das Island, and its representative was based in Abu Dhabi. Following the discovery Sheikh Shakhbut visited it. In 1960, the company established a new center in Abu Dhabi for training on the oil industry. At that time Abu Dhabi was about to witness a tremendous transformation. In 1977, Abu Dhabi established Abu Dhabi Marine Operating Company (ADMA-OPCO) to take over the responsibility of operation in the marine oil fields and ZADCO to develop Zakum field. Then Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) was established.

As oil discovery was lagging behind in its coast, Dubai had relied on its port and the entrepôt trade. The companies persisted in their survey until they provided Sheikh Rashid with the good news of Fateh field, 110 kilometers from the shore.

The challenges have increased with the transfer of oil exploration and extraction to the deep sea. This change led to a number of challenges, such as providing information on the topography of the seabed, water depth, sea state, weather conditions, political conditions and legal issues such as boundaries, regulations, customs, traditions and trends. Prior to obtaining offshore exploration and extraction concessions, the capital required for investment in this area remains essential; because the cost of this industry was high.

A rising demand for oil after the end of World War II stimulated a search for new sources of crude across the world that formed pressure on the oil companies.

The book confirms at its epilogue that Sheikh Shakhbut had doubts in the Western oilmen. He focused on water and on oil as well. He was intelligent. He was well informed – he liked to listen to the wireless and received news via the grapevine about developments elsewhere in the Gulf. He was committed to Bedouin tradition, which made his words binding. Therefore, confidence was simply the essence of everything.

It is noteworthy that the takeoff of offshore oil industry with other developments had led to the establishment of the United Arab Emirates; the Rulers of the Trucial Coast began to meet in the Trucial States Council, which was the forum for discussion.

The withdrawal of British forces created a vacuum in the region. Therefore, it was imperative on the Gulf States to unify their forces in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), where they can coordinate their economic and defense policies and prepare their budget to reduce their dependence on oil. As oil currently forms the core of the UAE's economic power, and as increasing its production is one of its objectives, UAE formed its Economic Vision 2030, which serves as a road map for Abu Dhabi's economic development process over the coming years.

The discovery and development of marine oil in the Arabian Gulf - especially in the UAE - remains a fascinating story; it contains the largest offshore oilfields, among them are “Safaniya” field, the upper “Zakum” field and “Manifa” field.

The book has eight chapters, fully illustrated with photographs, drawings, maps and appendixes, terms and references, introduction, and an epilogue.

In collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Environment Agency;

National Archives Continues Oral History Interviews for its Project: "Grazing in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi".


The National Archives of the United Arab Emirates continues its oral history interviews regarding past and present pasture in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Environment Agency. The project aims at measuring the changes in natural pastures in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and how to preserve them to ensure the sustainability of biodiversity resources.

The Oral History Team in the National Archives, in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Environment Agency's Team, conducts interviews with citizens in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, to obtain information on environmental, biological, social and heritage aspects, associated with camel grazing, and its importance to the local economy in the past and present, as well as the environmental status of the natural pastures in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, social behavior and  social and human values, associated with camel grazing and livestock.

The interest in grazing stems from the interest in camels that have been an integral part of people’s life in the United Arab Emirates; camels were - and still are - a source of multi-benefit wealth; benefiting from their milk, meat and wool.  In addition, camels were a means of transport in the desert in the past. It is worth mentioning that the National Archives, in its search of oral history narrators, attend heritage festivals such as the Sultan Bin Zayed Heritage Festival in Suwaihan, plus other heritage festivals in the UAE.  Meanwhile, it keeps photocopies of all interviews conducted in this field, to add them to its Oral History Database, which plays a great role in documenting past life in the UAE.