The NLA Visited the Tunisian National Archives and Participated in a Specialized Symposium in Tunisia

The National Library and Archives participated in the intellectual symposium, held in Tunisia and organized by the Arab Federation for Libraries and Information, in cooperation with the Tunisian National Archives entitled, “The National Policy for Documents and Archives Management in Light of Digital Transformations”. The NLA delegation discussed with His Excellency Al-Hadi Jallab, Director General of the Tunisian National Archives means of cooperation in the field of documents and archives management. His Excellency appreciated the role of the National Library and Archives in preserving the history and heritage of the Emirates and the Arabian Gulf region.
The National Library and Archives enriched the symposium with a lecture presented by Dr. Hazaa Al-Naqbi, Head of the NLA’s Government Archives Section on the distinguished experience of the United Arab Emirates in managing documents and archives in government agencies. The lecturer referred to the role of the NLA in collecting, maintaining and archiving official documents according to scientific standards to preserve them for the coming generations and make them available for historical scientific research. Simultaneously, the National Library and Archives played an important role in disseminating cultural and societal awareness about the importance of historical documents of all kinds.
Moreover, the NLA provided areas of research for scholars wishing to benefit from the informational material it possesses, while making documented information available to UAE decision-makers. Likewise, the lecturer highlighted the methods advocated by the NLA’s plan to organize the country's archives, underlining the significance of establishing the Preservation and Restoration Centre. Equally, Dr. Hazaa illustrated that the Centre contains highly advanced technologies in the field of preserving historical documents and modern equipment, in addition to expertise and competencies capable of processing, restoring and protecting documents from damage.

Dr. Hazaa Al-Naqbi, and Dr. Saeed Al-Ghaithi, Head of the NLA’s Government Archives Development Unit, were keen to visit the headquarters of the Tunisian National Archives, inspect its Departments and sections, and get updates on its experience in preserving historical documents, which constitute a major component of strength for the state and society. They met with His Excellency Al-Hadi Jallab, and discussed with him ways of cooperation in the field of documents and archives management. His Excellency highly appreciated the NLA’s role in preserving the history and heritage of the Emirates and the Arabian Gulf region, and expressed his admiration for the distinguished experience of the National Library and Archives, as one of the most remarkable and prominent Arab experiences in the field of archiving and documenting. He appreciated the Emirati concern for preserving the memory of the nation because of its importance in foreseeing the future by exploring the past and its events.

The NLA delegation praised the role played by the Tunisian National Archives, and the richness of “The National Policy for Documents and Archives Management in Light of Digital Transformations” symposium, which touched on significant topics, most notably: Documents and archives as a component of governance and comprehensive development, the foundations of the national policy for managing documents and archives, and the legislative and regulatory foundations regarding digital transformations in addition to other papers that discussed  logistical and technical aspects and how to migrate from traditional systems to electronic ones. In the symposium, a number of researchers, academicians, senior experts and specialists in the field of archives from Tunisia and other Arab countries successfully participated in shedding light on these topics.