Through Historical Photographs Showcasing Landmarks and Highlighting the Founder and Builder’s Commitment to its Environment

The National Library and Archives Celebrates Al Dhafra Region at Sheikh Zayed Festival
The National Library and Archives celebrated Al Dhafra Region at its “Memory of the Nation” platform during its participation in Sheikh Zayed Festival 2024-2025. The National Library and Archives showcased photographs documenting the region’s most prominent heritage and historical landmarks, highlighting the care and attention it received from the Founder and Builder, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and how his vision of development transformed Al Dhafra into a civilizational oasis where heritage and modernity intertwine.
The renaissance of Al Dhafra Region becomes clear when comparing its present with its past. At its platform, the NLA documented aspects of the region’s history and importance, and in previous events highlighted Al Dhafra’s development journey made possible through the continued attention and support of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE. His Highness’s directives have advanced the region’s growth and prosperity while reinforcing its heritage and sustainability, thus continuing the path set by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
The National Library and Archives’s platform showcased historical photographs capturing aspects of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan’s inspection tours of citizens’ farms in Liwa during the 1970s and 1980s, where he observed the produce of fruits and vegetables. These images reflect the Founder and Builder’s early attention to the environment and its sustainability across the UAE. His care, was not limited to places, but centered above all on people, out of his belief that it is man’s will that shapes civilization and drives progress and prosperity. By staying close to his people, he instilled in them the values of love and loyalty. He was always keen to remain well informed about citizens’ concerns, engaging in direct communication and consultation with them without barriers. During his field tours, he consistently followed up on urban and developmental projects across the nation.
The platform also presented historical photographs for its visitors, documenting Sheikh Zayed’s visits and inspection tours of citizens’ farms and their produce in Al Mariyah, Muzeira’a, and other areas across Al Dhafra Region.
Moreover, the National Library and Archives’s platform presented a historical photograph of the massive old circular tower of Al Mariyah located in Al Mariyah Al Sharqiya (Eastern), along with a photograph of Qutuf Fort in Qutuf village, both are situated in Liwa.
The platform also displays historical social photographs that illustrate lifestyles and transportation methods in the Liwa region, as well as people’s interest in palm trees, palm oases, and old houses in the 1960s and 1970s. The photographs are arranged in a series to document the progress made in citizens’ housing in Liwa.
The National Library and Archives’ interest in Al Dhafra Region is not confined to Sheikh Zayed Festival but also extends to its participation in the various heritage events held in the region. These include Liwa Date Festival, where it showcases the services it provides to preserve the memory of the nation and collects oral history through interviews with senior citizens, Al Dhafra Book Festival, where it inclodes its publications containing accurate and well-documented historical information about the region. Among the most prominent of these publications are: Al Dhafra Fort; Al Dhafra Region in the Note of the United Kingdom Government’s Political Agent in 1955; Historical Water Resources in Al Dhafra Region; Dictionary of Places in the Poetry of the People of Al Dhafra; and Forts and Towers in Al Dhafra, among others.
In addition, the National Library and Archives has previously organized numerous events dedicated to Al Dhafra Region, and inaugurated at the new “Western Hotel Liwa” in Al Dhafra a permanent exhibition of historical photographs that document memorable moments in the UAE’s collective memory, along with a library housing many of its publications that highlight various aspects of the history of the United Arab Emirates in general, and the history of Al Dhafra Region in particular.