UAE’s past to be digitally preserved

The National Archives is gearing up to launch a digital initiative to archive, preserve and classify the websites and social media accounts of the country’s government bodies.

ABU DHABI // The National Archives is gearing up to launch a digital initiative to preserve and classify the websites and social media accounts of the government bodies.

It is the first initiative of its kind in the region, state news agency Wam reported.

Dr Abdulla El Reyes, director general of the archives, said the project, which should be running next year, will be an important part of the UAE’s history.

“By launching this project, the UAE will be among the first countries in the world, after the National Archives and Records Administration of the US and the Library and Archives of Canada, to document and preserve millions of items of e-data,” he said.

“The National Archives has compiled a list of the most important official sites, social media accounts of government departments and senior officials. Information and data issued by these authorities are considered national documents whose historic significance become more valuable in time.”

As part of the project, the National Archives will provide an e-portal on its website through which researchers can access data.

The National Archives has also not forgotten the more than six million documents, photographs and video films, relating the history of the UAE, that are stored in its basement, recently introducing a state-of-the-art surveillance system. The system provides round-the-clock visual surveillance and archives all video data.