The National Library And Archives (NLA)
is a leading research and archival institution based in Abu Dhabi charged with preserving and documenting the history and heritage of the United Arab Emirates and the Persian Gulf region in general. The NLA was established in 1968 by Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, first President of the UAE, under the name of Center for Documentation and Research.
Forty years later, the then UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan issued Law No. (7) for 2008 designating the Center as the official National Archives of the UAE, under the name National Center for Documentation and Research (NCDR). The law specifies the NCDR jurisdiction to collect, preserve and archive documents to promote cultural and historical awareness and provide researchers access to the valuable materials held by the Center. In 2014, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan issued the federal law no. (1) of 2014, changing the name to National Archives.
