In collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Environment Agency;

National Archives Continues Oral History Interviews for its Project: "Grazing in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi".


The National Archives of the United Arab Emirates continues its oral history interviews regarding past and present pasture in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Environment Agency. The project aims at measuring the changes in natural pastures in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and how to preserve them to ensure the sustainability of biodiversity resources.

The Oral History Team in the National Archives, in cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Environment Agency's Team, conducts interviews with citizens in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, to obtain information on environmental, biological, social and heritage aspects, associated with camel grazing, and its importance to the local economy in the past and present, as well as the environmental status of the natural pastures in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, social behavior and  social and human values, associated with camel grazing and livestock.

The interest in grazing stems from the interest in camels that have been an integral part of people’s life in the United Arab Emirates; camels were - and still are - a source of multi-benefit wealth; benefiting from their milk, meat and wool.  In addition, camels were a means of transport in the desert in the past. It is worth mentioning that the National Archives, in its search of oral history narrators, attend heritage festivals such as the Sultan Bin Zayed Heritage Festival in Suwaihan, plus other heritage festivals in the UAE.  Meanwhile, it keeps photocopies of all interviews conducted in this field, to add them to its Oral History Database, which plays a great role in documenting past life in the UAE.