On the sidelines of the 56th edition of “Cairo International Book Fair”
The National Library and Archives Organizes a Specialized Seminar on the Concept of Archives’, Their Development, and Their Role in Supporting Development and Scientific Research.

The National Library and Archives (NLA), as part of its comprehensive program at the current edition of Cairo International Book Fair 2025, hosted a specialized seminar exploring the concept of archives, their development, and their critical role in supporting development and scientific research. The seminar shed light on the NLA pioneering efforts in enriching knowledge and advancing scientific research amidst the era of informational openness and technological innovation. Emphasizing the NLA’s experience the seminar highlighted that archives serve as the memory of nations and invaluable repositories of information, ensuring the continuity of knowledge transfer across generations. Archives were recognized as an indispensable resource for fostering development and advancing scientific research.

The seminar featured the participation of His Excellency Abdulla Majed Al Ali, Director General of the National Library and Archives, and Mr. Freed Zahran, Chairman of the Egyptian Publishers Association.

The discussions emphasized the pivotal role of Archives in promoting national identity and supporting sustainable development. The seminar highlighted that archives are fundamental tools for generating knowledge and driving progress. Investing in the preservation and advancement of archives was portrayed as an investment in the future of societies, as archives enable a deeper understanding of the past, the building of a better present, and the shaping of a more promising future. Furthermore, the seminar underscored that safeguarding archives is a national responsibility, vital for ensuring the continuity of development and enabling well-informed decision-making processes.

The seminar also highlighted that archives are not merely repositories of historical information but are essential resources that drive development and scientific research. It emphasized their role as dynamic tools for fostering progress and innovation. Among the most important types of archives discussed were: national archives, coporate archives, personal archives, and digital archives, and others.

The seminar emphasized that archives serve as a cornerstone for scientific research, providing a reliable source of accurate information. With the advancement of technology, archives have transformed to include diverse digital formats such as electronic documents, images, audio and video recordings, and extensive databases. The traditional notion of “place” has expanded beyond physical storage spaces and shelves to incorporate cloud storage systems and digital platforms, facilitating seamless remote access to documents.

The seminar also highlighted that technology has become an essential partner for archives in achieving their goals. It has made access to archives easier and faster. Digital archives help preserve old documents that may be at risk of damage or loss. Additionally, technology assists in data analysis, and advanced search tools, such as artificial intelligence, can now analyze documents and search for connections between them more quickly and accurately.

The seminar showcased the role of the National Library and Archives as a model for leveraging archives to support scientific research and development. It offers a comprehensive digital platform that grants researchers access to valuable historical documents and manuscripts, along with studies and well-documented reports on the history of the UAE and the Gulf region. This initiative enriches academic knowledge, aids students and researchers, and fosters historical research through the organization of scientific conferences, such as the Emirates International Oral History Conference, which plays a vital role in documenting unwritten historical narratives. In the field of development, the National Library and Archives promotes the national identity by documenting Emirati heritage, and preserving local culture, and this contributes to enhancing national belonging.

The seminar also emphasized the role of archives in international cooperation. It participates in international initiatives, organizes cultural fairs, exhibitions and events, and offers additional services such as documenting the local and international newspapers and magazines that cover the history of the UAE, as well as digitizing the local and international archives’ documents, ensuring their sustainability and ease of access. The seminar showed that the National Library and Archives places great importance on private archives.