The National Library and Archives has launched a virtual tour of the Sheikh Suroor bin Mohammed Al Nahyan Hall, making its archive available online.
The hall documents the life of Sheikh Suroor, a close companion of the UAE's Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, through records, photographs, films, interviews and personal belongings.
The collection includes official documents, medals, commemorative shields and material from Sheikh Suroor's private archive. It also contains recorded interviews and documentary films that trace different stages of his life and public service.
The archive covers the period from 1966 to 2003, when Sheikh Suroor held a number of public responsibilities. It also reflects his long association with Sheikh Zayed during the early decades of Abu Dhabi and the UAE.
More than 9,000 people visited the hall in 2025, according to the National Library and Archives.
The virtual tour, hosted on the institution website, allows the exhibition to be viewed remotely by those unable to visit the hall in person. The National Library and Archives said the project is part of its effort to make more of its collections available digitally.
The launch follows another recent project from the institution, Abu Dhabi Before 1971, a book produced with Assouline using more than 250 photographs from its archives.
The book documents life in Abu Dhabi before the formation of the UAE, including scenes of daily life, trade, architecture, education and early oil exploration. It includes images from the period before the federation, offering a visual record of the emirate as it changed in the years leading up to 1971.
