The National Library and Archives participated in the international conference organized by the Spanish University of Alicante with the aim of enhancing its corporate image as a scientific and academic research beacon, and highlighting its role in the translation field

The National Library and Archives participated in the International Conference on the Translation of Cultural References organized by the University of Alicante in November 2022, with a research paper entitled: "Translation of the UAE's historical heritage into foreign languages. Linguistic interfaces and Cross-cultural intricacies in the National Library and Archives’ translation projects."
This participation aims at achieving the National Library and Archives’ constant presence in international academic events to enhance its corporate image as a scientific research beacon, to highlight its role and efforts in strengthening civilizational and cultural dialogue, and building science and knowledge communication bridges to enhance the knowledge economy and bridge cultural gaps.  
On this participation, Mr. Hamad Al Hamiri, Director of Research and Knowledge Services Department, said: "We at the National Library and Archives encourage such academic participations that introduce and promote the National Library and Archives’ efforts in UAE's local historical and cultural heritage translation into foreign languages; especially English, French, Spanish, Russian, German, Portuguese and Hebrew. We also seek to translate foreign language books as well as chronicles, memoires, bulletins and documents, written by Western and Orientalist travelers who have since the nineteenth century frequently visited the UAE, which tackle the UAE history into Arabic, as well as notes of European diplomats who served in various foreign countries' embassies in the UAE for decades.
He added that the importance of this research presented by Professor Saddik Gouhar, Translation expert of the National Library and Archives, lies in the fact that it highlights the National Library and Archives’ "Tarjamat” or “Translations" project’s outputs employed in numerous publications in various languages. The National Library and Archives’ efforts continues enriching the knowledge and culture field with its International Translation Conference, which is preparing to hold its third edition next year. At the same time the Translation Section of the National Library and Archives and its UAE and International supporters always enrich Arab Libraries with new knowledge and advanced sciences and introduce to World Libraries the distinctive and pioneering UAE establishment and its auspicious Union experience.
Commenting on his participation in this international conference, Prof. Saddik Gouhar said: "My research-paper tackled inherent linguistic and cultural dilemmas in translating local and UAE-related historical and cultural texts into foreign languages due to cultural and linguistic traditions differences between the (Arabic) mother tongue and targeted foreign languages.
He added: The paper also discussed inherent obstacles faced during translating foreign historical texts on Emirati society written by Western travelers into Arabic, the research paper emphasized the great National Library and Archives translators’ efforts to adapt foreign texts, culturally and linguistically review and edit them to ensure they are accepted by Arab researchers and readers. Generally, the paper provided a comprehensive study of linguistic, semantic, rhetorical and cultural encountered problems and significant posed challenges to translators when translating historical texts. This research’s output on practicing translation of historical texts stress that the most difficult translators’ encountered challenges relate to various languages’ cultural and linguistic differences.
It is noteworthy that last September, Prof. Gouhar participated in the International Translation Conference organized by Vilnius University in the Republic of Lithuania under the slogan of "Translation, Ideology, Ethics: Response and Credibility", and enriched the conference with a research paper entitled: " Promoting the Translation Movement in the Middle East: National Library and Archives’ Initiatives in the UAE as a Model", in a significant National Library and Archives’ attempt to introduce and promote important aspects of its national events and achievements in global cultural circles.