A delegation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation visited the Center for Preservation and Restoration of the National Archives and praised its crucial role in preserving the memory of the nation
A delegation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation visited the Center for Preservation and Restoration of the National Archives and praised its crucial role in preserving the memory of the nation
A delegation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation visited the Preservation and Restoration Center of the National Archives where its members explored the preservation stores keeping government entities documents, and the key archives management adopted procedures in: the government archives, the Digital archives, and the preservation and restoration sections.
The visit came as a prelude to transferring the Ministry's historical documents to the Preservation and Restoration center of the National Archives, as part of the UAE documentary material compiling.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation delegation toured the large warehouses equipped with the latest technologies, and adopting the latest and most sophisticated global practices in preserving historical documents transferred to the National Archives from various UAE government archives.
The delegation members were briefed about the role of the restoration laboratory which undertakes the restoration of frayed or worn important historical documents with great historical value to repair any damage and extend their lifespan.
The preservation and restoration center officials briefed their guests with information on the building which was established under the provisions of Federal Law No. (7) of 2008 on the National Archives, later amended by Federal Law No. (1) of 2014 with the aim of organizing the process of preserving governmental and official historical records. They indicated that the building includes 19 large stores designed to receive various government entities archives, with a storage capacity that accommodates more than 890 thousand (equivalent to over three and a half million) archives boxes.
The visiting delegation was also briefed on some techniques relating to documents digitization whether on microfilms or microfiches, on high-resolution electronic photo-copying techniques for all types of documents, on providing various research fields for those wishing to benefit from the National Archives valuable and accessible information and material preserved to serve in documenting the UAE history.
The visiting delegation also viewed the various techniques adopted for treating and restoring fragile historical documents that succumbed to damage to be utilized later after preserving and safeguarding them in specially equipped stores, and digitizing them to allow for their accessibility in a timely and user friendly manner.
At the end of the visit, the delegation members praised the great accomplishments witnessed at the National Archives Preservation and Restoration Center and its facilities, indicating that it is an important national achievement for the National Archives which contributes to preserving the memory of the nation and safeguarding it against any damage or loss. They expressed their great admiration for the adopted safety and security measures to counter any emergency or sudden disaster, and the great care and interest vested in safeguarding and preserving authentic documents and archival records, and the methods employed to ensure their easy and timely access upon need. They highly valued the adopted precautionary and preventive measures currently required to counter and contain the global outbreak of Coronavirus.
It is noteworthy that the National Archives has- for more than half a century- been collecting historical documents and preserving them for future generations to make them available to decision-makers, researchers, academics and all interested in the history and heritage of the UAE, and has allocated the preservation and restoration center building for the preservation and conservation of historical records and documents which are an irrefutable evidence of important events in the history of the Emirates.
These visits Shed light on the National Archives role in preserving the history and memory of the nation, and is a tangible reminder of the founding father and leader, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan who was the first to realize the importance of documents and to vest great interest in them- as duly deserved since they constitute the cultural legacy and heritage of the nation- when he issued his directives for the establishment of the National Archives in 1968 to hold and preserve, for future generations, historical records and documents that represent the memory of the nation, through their description, classification and indexing; since they are considered an important supporting pillar for national identity and values, as they include and constitute documented historical information. The National Archives is proud to disseminate culture through documented history and authentic documents presented in its various valuable publications.
The National Archives of the UAE was established under the Ministry of Presidential Affairs in 1968, upon directives of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, with the aim of collecting and documenting material relating to the history and heritage of the UAE and the Gulf region. Forty years later, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan President of the UAE, issued Federal Law No. 7 of 2008, changing it to be the National Center for Documentation and Research, entrusted with organizing government entities archives in the United Arab Emirates. Then in 2014, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed issued Federal Law No. (1) changing its name from (the National Center for Documentation and Research) to be (National Archives).
