Within the framework of its “Centennial Initiative” in celebration of the “Year of Zayed”

The National Archives Participates in the “3rd Industry Walk” with a National Lecture and Photo Exhibition of the Founding Leader 

Within the framework of its “Centennial Initiative” in celebration of the “Year of Zayed”, the National Archives participated in the “3rd Industry Walk” at the premises of the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) with a national lecture entitled “Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan  ... A March of Excellence and Giving to the Homeland”, and organized an exhibition of historical photos of the Founding Leader Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

The lecture, which was presented by Mrs. Husniya Mohammed Al Ali, Head of Educational Programs Section in the National Archives, reviewed Sheikh Zayed’s march towards excellence and leadership and how he was able to add to humanity his distinctive mark that has made a milestone in the history of the nation which enabled it to achieve a grand transformation in all fields, and in record time.

The lecture made a link between the efforts of the Founding Leader, in his leadership of the UAE and the achievements he made throughout his life in establishing the UAE to ensure its distinguished position among the countries of the world, and the outstanding work methodology for overcoming the challenges and achieving the best results and advanced international positions according to the “Excellence Model” of the (EFQM), even before this model was established, which was adopted by the UAE federal and local awards, and its first version was issued in 2003.

The lecture explained the example and leading role model in “Leadership” Sheikh Zayed had presented. He set priorities and exceeded expectations in drawing the course of the UAE through applying a good balance between the requirements of human development and preservation of environment and wealth.

The National Archives has participated also by organizing an exhibition of historical photographs of Sheikh Zayed to grant participants of the 3rd Industry Walk the opportunity to know important aspects of the Founding Leader’s bright history and to be aware of some of his efforts for achieving development and prosperity unprecedented in the world. Through that, the participants will become abreast of his achievements, his good offices for human development, his wisdom and vision that preceded his time in the field of national sustainability. These high values have made him an example and role model for the honorable people in the UAE, Gulf, Arab world and the world.

The National Archives presented some of its most important applications, including “Sheikh Zayed Diary” and “Sheikh Zayed Audio Library”, which includes hundreds of audio recordings that address various local, Arab and international issues. These recordings are important for the UAE history and make it possible for people to hear again the warm voice of the Founding Leader. Among the National Archives’ applications are Sheikhs’ diaries which include the Diary of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Diary of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Diary of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Diary of His Highness Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the Diary of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum.

These diaries cover all the daily activities and events of the Founding Leader and Their Highnesses the Sheikhs, and have been documented by subjects and time throughout the period each diary covers, whether such  activities were social, economic, media or political.

The smart applications also included an educational booklet issued by the National Archives, which contains topics dealing with the history and heritage of the UAE.

The participation of the National Archives in the 3rd Industry Walk at the headquarters of the UAE University included some of the most important books published by the National Archives about Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, such as: “Zayed: A Man Who Built A Nation)” and “Zayed From Challenges to Union”. The two books are presented in both Arabic and English, in addition to the books: “Zayed and Excellence”, “Zayed and Heritage” ... and others.

It is also noteworthy that the “Centennial Initiative” launched by the National Archives in celebration of the “Centennial Birth” of the Founding Leader aims at establishing the values of the “Year of Zayed” through its available acquisitions. The initiative is in line with the National Archives’ objectives, mission and main goals, and sheds light on the achievements of Sheikh Zayed, the most important events and the everlasting documents. The present generation will know what Zayed had done for us, and how he had worked hardly to build the UAE.

Concurrently with the “Year of Zayed" initiative, the National Archives participates in the Arab Travel Market at the Pavilion of Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism. 

Concurrently with the “Year of Zayed" initiative, and within the framework of the “Centennial Initiative" launched by the National Archives marking the celebration of the centennial birth anniversary of the Founding Leader Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the NA participates in the Arab Travel Market 2018, to be held in Dubai during the period from April 22nd to 25th, 2018. The National Archives' platform in the region’s leading travel and tourism exhibition is entitled the “Year of Zayed". The National Archives' participation highlights Sheikh Zayed's long history of giving, tolerance and reinforcing the values of amity and friendliness. This has been clearly demonstrated in the approach and policy adopted by the United Arab Emirates, which eventually resulted in its acquiring a prominent status of noble humanitarian benevolence and social justice on which peaceful coexistence and tolerance among nations is based.

The National Archives presents to the exhibition's participants and visitors bright pages of the history of the UAE and its Founding Leader, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, through a large interactive screen in the National Archives' platform displaying a large collection of photos of Sheikh Zayed,  to show the audience some of the stances adopted by that exceptional leader who spared no effort to establish the United Arab Emirates, whose people and residents enjoy prosperity, welfare and development. The viewer can obtain data for any image by screen touching it to enlarge it and a detailed commentary on it instantly appears at its bottom.

In addition to the interactive screen presenting photos of the Founding Leader, the National Archives offers some of its most smart applications, including Sheikh Zayed’s Diaries and Sheikh Zayed's Audio Library, which includes hundreds of audio recordings that address various local, Arab and international issues.  These recordings are important for the UAE history, and make it possible for people to hear again the warm voice of the Founding Leader.  Among the smart applications provided by the National Archives are Sheikhs’ Diaries, which include the Diaries of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Diaries of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Diaries of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Diaries of His Highness Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the Diaries of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum.

These Diaries cover all the daily activities and events, whether social, economic, media, or political, of the Founding Leader and their Highnesses the Sheikhs, documented by subjects and time throughout the period each diary covers.

Smart applications will also include the educational booklet issued by the National Archives, containing topics on the history and heritage of the UAE.

The National Archives grasps the occasion of this participation to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and to reinforce his values in the great number of visitors expected during the exhibition.

The National Archives' platform, participating in the Arabian Travel Market 2018, included the most important books published by the National Archives on Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, namely: (Zayed a Man who Built a Nation) and (Zayed from Challenges to Union). The two books are presented in both Arabic and English, in addition to other books such as (Zayed and Excellence) and (Zayed and Heritage) ... and others.

It is worth mentioning that the National Archives continues its activities within the framework of the Centennial Initiative projects launched in celebration of the Year of Zayed. The projects of this initiative stem from the National Archives' mission, vision and objectives, and aim to establish and promote the values of Sheikh Zayed and his achievements.

National Archives Educates its Staff about Mobile Security,

For Keeping a Safe Work Environment

For the purpose of security of personal and financial data stored on widespread personal smart phones, which contain huge sensitive data that must be preserved, and to protect it from attacks that exploit the weak points in smart phones, the National Archives of the UAE has organized an education and awareness lecture entitled "Security of Mobile Phones".  The lecture focused on steps of hacking and means of prevention.

The lecture, which was presented by Engineer Mohammed Boushlaibi, Analyst of Research and Electronic Evidence at the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority, reviewed the risks of mobile hacking and the best security practices to limit it, with the aim of preserving personal information, work environment and its confidential data, and to protect all of that from any electronic hackings that threaten the security of information.

The lecturer defined to NA staff the term "Social Engineering", which means the art of manipulating people's minds, to carry out procedures that will lead to hacking of secret data, and granting access to sensitive personal information.  The lecture identified the information hackers try to access as:  personal information, information about networks, applications, policies and others.  The lecturer then talked about methods of relation building, launching attacks, and tracking targets, particularly wealthy individuals, through phone calls, short text messages, WhatsApp and others.

The lecturer discussed preventive measures, such as not to click on suspicious links, and to identify the name and address of the sender.  The presenter emphasized that everyone receiving suspicious calls or messages should be smart in dealing with unknown callers, and then he listed the methods to use in case a problem as such rises.

At the end of the lecture, Mr. Farhan Al Marzouqi, Director of Corporate and Community Department at the National Archives, honored the lecturer on behalf of the National Archives, and thanked him for all the valued of information.

In the “Year of Zayed” and within the framework of the “Centennial Initiative”

The National Archives Organizes Lectures in Sharjah

Within the framework of its “Centennial Initiative” in celebration of the “Year of Zayed”, the National Archives, in coordination with Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA), presents a number of lectures on Sheikh Zayed’s values, contributions and achievements in the Majalis of Sharjah’s suburbs and in its University Clubs.

These lectures, presented by the National Archives, are some of the outcomes of the “Centennial Initiative”, whose projects have spread across the UAE in celebration of the “Year of Zayed”. The National Archives wished to highlight the legacy of the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, his deeds and prominent achievements at the local, regional and international spheres. The National Archives seeks to motivate the generations to be inspired by the lessons and benefits from the biography of the Founding Leader, which promote the feelings of belonging, loyalty to the homeland, loyalty to the wise leadership,   national identity and the values of good citizenship in the minds of the generations carrying on the process of building and developing.

The National Archives continues to implement the “Centennial Initiative” in four themes in order to highlight the values of the “Year of Zayed”.  These themes are: Respect, Wisdom, Human Development and Sustainability. They are reflected in the objectives of the Initiative, which the National Archives aspires to reach all segments of the public throughout the UAE.

The lectures, presented by an elite of experts and specialists from the National Archives, bring back to mind the bright pages from the history of Sheikh Zayed whom the world has known as an excellent man of politics and benevolence who spared no effort throughout his life to build the UAE and promote the prosperity and well-being of its citizens and expatriates. All that has a great effect on the development and renaissance of the UAE and entitled it to enjoy a great status amongst the countries of the world. During the establishment of the UAE, the Founding Leader paid a great attention to education, health and construction, and this had a significant impact on the UAE’s establishment, development and accomplishments. History has proudly recorded Sheikh Zayed’s keenness for charitable and humanitarian work, as he gave abundance of aid to the needy and stricken people in various parts of the world. Therefore, the UAE has become a model for humanitarian work due to his noble approach.

The lectures, presented by the National Archives at the Majalis of Sharjah and its University Clubs, are derived from the history of Sheikh Zayed and his leadership role and achievements that the UAE still enjoys today. 

The National Archives’ lectures in the “Year of Zayed” reach expatriate students at Al Qasimia University, the residents of Mughaidir suburb in Talaa area, Majlis of Wasit suburb, Majlis of Rahmania suburb, the teachers and parents in Majlis of Muwaileh suburb in Al Nouf area, residents of Majlis of Al Khan suburb and the other Majalis of Sharjah and its suburbs.

The National Archives Starts Receiving works Participating in "Zayed, 100 Stories" Initiative

In cooperation with the Ministry of Education, the National Archives continues the second phase of the national educational initiative “Zayed, 100 Stories”, as part of the “Centennial Initiative”, launched by the National Archives in celebration of the “Year of Zayed”, and in context with NA's project "Student Historians' Club” in its 5th session.  The "Student Historians" project aims at educating generation of students about the legacy of the Founding Leader, late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. 

In the second phase of the Initiative, the NA will start accepting candidacy applications until April 11th, followed by an evaluation phase until April 19th. Evaluation will be based on certain criteria as stipulated in the National Education Initiative, such as elements of story building, and the value of content, which should focus on ethics, civics, local environment, language, style, Sheikh Zayed’s personality, creative elements of the story,   balancing between fact and fiction within content, and  design and artistic production.

In this initiative, students from 8th to 12th grades in all schools in the UAE will prepare story materials about the Founding Leader reflecting what they have learned from their extensive reading, oral history materials, as well as courses, activities and events provided by the National Archives.

Evaluation will be held at the headquarters of the Department of Education and Knowledge in Abu Dhabi.  Participants in the evaluation process will include experienced storywriters, well-known writers, and those who have already won awards in this field.

The Ministry of Education receives applications from all public and private schools from all over the UAE, while the Department of Education receives applications from Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, and Al Dhafra schools.

Receiving and evaluating applications will be followed by selecting the best 100 stories about Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Written material will be checked, refined, designed, and produced in a proper form, which can serve as reading material for workshops in the next school year, and will strengthen belonging to the homeland and loyalty to the leadership, and will build the student’s personality and deeply root moral values, civics and high principles.

In this project of the National Archives, winners will be in the spotlights to serve as role models for their peers, and to motivate their colleagues for more efforts in their education,  as s sign of love of the homeland and of its great leaders such as the Founding Leader Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. 

It is worth mentioning that the National Archives emphasizes through this national educational initiative the importance of highlighting the efforts, achievements and values of the Founding Father the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and opening new pages in UAE history.  That in itself is sufficient to reinforce the national and social values of students, who will be the future generation that will continue to build the nation and preserve the current achievements.

A huge number of participating students visited the National Archives for an orientation, to enrich their knowledge about the country's history and the biography of the Founding Leader, late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan al Nahyan.

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.    

The National Archives signs a Memorandum of Cooperation with the King Abdul Aziz Foundation for Research and Archives

The National Archives of the United Arab Emirates and the  King Abdul Aziz Foundation for Research and Archives in Riyadh, signed a Memorandum of Cooperation, aimed at developing and strengthening bilateral cooperation in various fields between the two parties, and to support programs and joint activities relevant to their work.

The Memo signing took place during the Riyadh International Book Fair, in which the UAE is a guest of honor at its current session, in an effort by both parties to benefit from the historical and cultural heritage, available in both countries in the form of collections that document the history and heritage of the two brotherly countries.

This Memorandum of Cooperation aims at consolidating cooperation in joint activities, to search for historical archival resources of both parties, and to digitize and exchange documents in accordance with the laws governing the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia

 The terms of the Memorandum provide for the exchange of expertise between the two parties in the field of archiving, information sharing and organizing training programs in archiving. The two sides will work to promote cooperation in the framework of cultural exchange between them, such as seminars, conferences, workshops, training, and exchange of archival and historical publications.

HE Dr. Fahad Abdulla Al Samari, Secretary General of King Abul Aziz Foundation, signed the memorandum on behalf of the Foundation, and HE Dr. Abudalla Mohammad Alraisi, Director General of the National Archives, signed the Memorandum on behalf of the UAE National Archives.

HE Dr. Fahad Abdulla Al Samari valued the cooperation with the National Archives, and expressed his optimism about the benefits for the two sides. He stressed the importance of training of archival cadres in both countries, and of preservation and restoration historical documents, and of cooperation in technical fields, and the transfer of successful experiences in Saudi Arabia and the UAE to the whole region, based on a joint program facilitates and regulates the transfer of these experiences to promote the rest of the archives and achieve excellence, in order for Gulf archives to become a force standing by the truth.   

His Excellency Dr. Abdulla Mohammed Alraisi said that the cooperation relations between the National Archives and the King Abdul Aziz Foundation are strong, and that this Memorandum will solidify them.  The National Archives holds high hopes on the memorandum, because it gives the strong relations between the two parties legal status.  This allows the UAE National Archive to enhance its holdings with the rich collection of King Abdul Aziz Foundation of historical documents and records, and audiovisual archives of the history of the region, which is the focus of attention of researchers interested in the history of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and the Arabian Peninsula.

He also praised the role played by King Abdul Aziz Foundation in documenting the history of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf region, pointing out the common brotherly ties in all fields, and the historical and heritage dimensions between the two brotherly countries. He thanked the management of the Foundation, represented by HE Dr. Fahad Abdulla Al Samari, for their cooperation, prompt response and hospitality.   HE Dr. Alraisi pointed out that he is looking forward with great hope to put the articles of the Memorandum into immediate implementation to enrich the experiences of both parties, and to strengthen and consolidate the Gulf identity in the era of globalization.  He expressed the hope that the Memorandum of Cooperation will be productive in all fields, and in harmony with the efforts of the National Archives to preserve the memory of the nation for future generations, and to collect, document and preserve archival documents according to scientific principles, and to exchange historical publications that monitor main issues in the history of both brotherly countries.   

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.