In a training workshop organized for teachers of the Emirates National Schools and the Spanish School,

The National Archives enriches the new teachers’ knowledge of the UAE history and heritage



The National Archives organized a virtual training workshop to raise awareness among new teachers of the Emirates National Schools and the Spanish School of the UAE’s ancient history, culture, heritage and traditions, which instill the sense of national identity and enhances loyalty and belonging among students. Accordingly, this would close the gap between students, their parents and teachers.

The workshop, organized by the NA via interactive media, strived to acquaint the new teachers and administrators with national values derived from the UAE history and heritage and enhance their experience with the virtues of the Emirati community, which they have to instill among the students.

Emphasizing strategic partnership in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding concluded between the NA and Emirates National Schools, the workshop included events that are concerned with the 100th centennial anniversary of the UAE and that highlight the significance of the Union and the planning of the founding fathers, which has resulted in crowning each stage with innovative and creative achievements that led to the comprehensive and integrated development over the past 50 years. Based on this vision, the “UAE Centennial 2071” will continue the pioneering and sustainability march in the next five decades.

 The workshop started with an exhibition of the photographs preserved in the NA photo archives. The photos showed the attention devoted to education in the UAE by Sheikh Zayed Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan and the founding fathers and the follow up given to the advanced education nowadays under the directives of our wise leadership. After that, a documentary film entitled “Building a Nation” was shown. It presents the beginning of the development of education in the UAE and the related achievements that were made in record time.

Dr. Aisha Bilkhair, Research Advisor at the NA, held an intensive lecture entitled “The UAE History and Culture”. She tackled milestones in the history of the UAE foundation, development and prosperity as well as its key symbols such as the flag and national anthem. She, then, elaborated on the journey of education in the UAE, which started from the Katateeb and reached smart education, the role of the Emirati society in education and contributions of pearl merchants and other society members to the support and development of education since giving was part of the Emirati culture. This is in addition to semi-formal and formal education and the role of Kuwait in establishing formal schools and teaching the Kuwaiti curricula there.

She also highlighted the great role of the founding leader, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan and H.H. Sheikha Fatima Bint Mubarak, Mother of the Nation, in the Emiratization of education and approving Emirati curricula of national identity. Moreover, the lecturer talked about Sheikh Zayed’s role in enabling and guiding women to gain the knowledge that leads to a job so that women would have an effective role in the society. It is worth mentioning that H.H. Sheikha Fatima’s follow up has enabled women to work in various fields with confidence and competence.

The lecturer aimed to foster doing good deeds among children in the UAE. This is, actually, part of our heritage. Fathers and ancestors raised their children on principles of generosity and helping the others. She also illustrated the efforts of the UAE and the Federal National Council in honoring women, brining their role into prominence and achieving gender balance.

She pointed out that the UAE being able to provide smart education at this stage has opened the door to artificial intelligence and modern sciences. This was also accompanied by recruiting brilliant brains, stimulating creativity and innovation and entering space. The UAE is fully prepared for the next fifty years, which objectives and strategies have been set by the leadership and which are a continuation of the last fifty years that were visioned and planned by Sheikh Zayed.

Dr. Aisha Bilkhair supported the workshop ideas with some stories, which stress on Sheikh Zayed’s sustainable leadership and continuous approach and indicate that his vision, which emerged in advance of his time is reflected in our present. His approach is featured by humanity, tolerance, safety and security, containment of others and many values that the UAE is still proud of.

The workshop took participants on virtual tours of the NA to learn about its facilities and services including historical records and documents, which are accessible to beneficiaries. The tours started with the Arabian Gulf Digital Archives (AGDA), which is a source of inspiration because of its documents that are of historical value and pertaining to the UAE and GCC. Accordingly, it became a source of rare information and unique documents.

The virtual tour of Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Hall at the NA served as a window through which a visitor is acquainted with aspects of the UAE history. The next tour was of the Emirates Library, which forms a significant part of the NA academic and research program since it enables researchers, students and knowledge seekers to benefit from its rich and specialized collections of both paper and electronic documents on the UAE and GCC history. The last tour was of the Customer Happiness Hall where researchers can be provided with historical documents they request from the NA.