For the second consecutive year and at the United Arab Emirates level

The National Archives Wins Sharjah Government Communication Award (Best Communication Plan for the Year of Zayed)

The National Archives of the UAE won for the second year in a row the Sharjah Government Communication Award (Best Communication Plan for the Year of Zayed at the UAE level) for the year 2018. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Saud Al Qasimi, Head of the Central Finance Department, handed the award to HE Dr. Abdulla Mohammed Alraisi, Director General of the National Archives at the ceremony held in Sharjah.

On this occasion, the Director General of the National Archives expressed his happiness for winning the award. He said that winning the Sharjah Government Communication Award (Best Communication Plan for the year of Zayed) by the National Archives coincided with the year of Zayed. We are proud that the award bears the name of the founding leader, and receiving it reflects the genuineness of the National Archives’ initiative, which celebrates the year of Zayed and engages all segments of society and all emirates in various activities and events. The award is the first of its kind in the Arab world to honor individuals and institutions, and it highlights achievements in the field of government communication.

Dr. Alraisi dedicated the award to the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al-Nahyan, as the National Archives is honored to win the prize that bears his name while we are celebrating the centennial anniversary of his birth. He pointed out that the National Archives, which celebrates its golden Jubilee, was established in 1968 upon the directives of Sheikh Zayed who realized the importance of documenting the homeland history and preserving it for future generations. The fact that the National Archives has managed to achieve this purpose becoming the keeper of the UAE history and heritage proves that the late founding leader was a man of vision and wisdom.

Dr. Alraisi also thanked the officials of the Sharjah Government Communication Award and praised the role of the award in honoring achievements and creative initiatives, and considered it an incentive for more fruitful and constructive contributions.

On this occasion, Dr. Alraisi extended his warmest congratulations and thanks to His Highness Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chairman of the National Archives, and to His Excellency Hamad Abdulrahman Al Madfa, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Archives, for the support and guidance given to the NA, qualifying it for continuous excellence. Additionally, he extended his thanks to all members of the Board of Directors, and to NA’s employees who do their utmost persistently and conscientiously, fulfilling their duty and maintaining NA’s rank among world's largest archives, as reflected in NA’s work outputs, data, statistics and awards that demonstrate perseverance and outstanding performance.

Highlighting the National Archives’ Initiative in Year of Zayed

The National Archives continues to implement the Centennial Initiative launched in celebration of the Year of Zayed. It includes organizing100 lectures and national educational reading workshops that enrich the generations' memory with the values and principles of the founding leader and his timeless contributions and achievements. The National Archives will also implement 100 educational games, and will allow a100 days of free download of its applications. The initiative also includes organizing 100 photo galleries that bring to mind the efforts of the founding leader, and issuing 100 postcards with 100 different photos documenting aspects of Sheikh Zayed’s efforts. One hundred high-quality photo albums will be prepared to document Sheikh Zayed's humanitarian work and his timeless patriotic actions.

The Centennial Initiative also includes 100 thank-you letters from 100 personalities, in addition to the making of 100 one-minute long films about Sheikh Zayed's life, to be uploaded on social media and YouTube. The National Archives will enrich 100 school libraries statewide with collections of its national publications with the aim of disseminating national knowledge and presenting a true and documented picture of the history and heritage of the UAE and the achievements of the founding leader.

The National Archives started the first phase of the event entitled “Zayed in 100 stories”, which comes within the project of the Student Historians’ Club to instill national and moral values among generations. The initiative will also include NA’s evaluation of 100 research papers entitled “Following Our Father Zayed’s Footsteps” prepared by ninth grade students of the Emirates National Schools. The initiative will collect 100 of the Founding Leader’s quotes, and publish them on the website, in addition to distributing murals displaying these quotes to schools. The initiative also includes posting 100 timeless documents about Sheikh Zayed on social media.