The Restoration and Preservation Centre and the “Memory of the Nation” receives a delegation from the Kazakhstani Archives.

In the course of its visit to the NA of the UAE and its interest in its experience, a delegation from the National Archives of the Republic of Kazakhstan visited the NA Restoration and Preservation Centre and the “Memory of the Nation” pavilion with which the National Archives of the UAE participates in this year’s edition of Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival. The delegation expressed appreciation for the role the Restoration and Preservation Centre serves in preserving the documentary assets of the UAE,  the delegation also showed admiration for the “Memory of the Nation” pavilion acquisitions that offer the generations and festival visitors a short but an intense journey through the history of the UAE and the biography of the Founding Leader Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan since the time he was appointed as the Ruler’s Representative in Al Ain in 1964.

The Kazakhstani delegation members went on a tour of the Restoration and Preservation Centre where they learnt about its main duties whether currently or in future, they also inspected the facility's units which are prepared to receive and keep official government records. The delegation expressed its admiration for the Centre’s capacity, the technologies employed for documents digitization and storage in microfilm and microfiche forms, the capacity for High resolution scanning of documents of various types: manuscripts, books, newspapers, maps and photographs.

Mrs. Sheikha Al Qahtani, Head of the NA Government Archives Section, gave a detailed explanation about the Centre which was established to manage the preservation process of official government files and records of historic type in accordance with the Federal Law No. (7) of 2008 on the National Archives, later amended by Federal Law No. (1) of 2014 and the executive regulation thereof, with the aim of preserving these historical documents to utilize them later through facilitating their prompt accessibility upon need as well as securing and safeguarding them at their storage locations.

Al Qahtani explained to the visiting delegation that the abovementioned law provided for the preservation and archiving of files according to scientific archival principles and standards with the aim of retrieving them later to serve public interest. This would contribute to spreading cultural and historical awareness and allowing access to the information retained by the NA to researchers who would like to utilize them in their documentation of the UAE history.

The Kazakhstani delegation has expressed its desire for cooperation with the NA in a way which achieves integration in the main archival and documentation work-fields between the two countries.

The delegation visited the “Memory of the Nation” pavilion at Sheikh Zayed Heritage Festival where they inspected the NA acquisitions which present bright pages of the glorious history of the UAE and the biography of its Founding Leader Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

The delegation has expressed its appreciation for the modern and interesting technologies employed by the NA in its presentation of the documented historical information. The guests viewed a large number of historical documents, photographs and films reflecting different aspects of the UAE history and culture which in turn represent the journey of development and tolerance the Nation has undergone and the assiduous efforts of Sheikh Zayed in the fields of construction and agriculture supported by his follow up and inspection of various projects in the UAE. They delegation members also watched a large interactive screen displaying the Al Bu Falah family tree advanced smart application introducing the main figures of the Al Nahyan family with a particular interest in and focus on the prominent figures who governed the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

The Kazakhstani delegation members later visited Qasr Al Hosn where they inspected its various features and sections, and stopped at some length in contemplation of the rooms where the NA was first established in 1968 as the “Bureau for Documents and studies” under the directives of the Founding Leader Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan.