The National Archives of Qatar in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture organised an event Sunday to mark the World Archives Day that falls on June 9 each year.
The National Archives of Qatar board of trustees chairman HE Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Attiyah attended the event that featured a presentation delivered by Shura Council member Khalid bin Ghanim al-Ali on the role of archives in recording history and maintaining the identity.
A presentation on digitisation in the documentary world was delivered by Fahd al-Obaidly. The event witnessed HE al-Attiyah honouring of a host of institutions and individuals who have been supportive of the National Archives of Qatar, by providing information and documents.
Qatar TV was honoured in the category of government institutions. In the category of individuals and private institutions, the honorees included HE Khalid bin Ghanem al-Ali al-Maadid, HE Dr Youssef Mohamed Obeidan, and in the category of private libraries Hassan bin Mohamed Historical Library, Sheikh Abdul Aziz Mohamed al-Mana Library, and Khor Shaqiq Library were honoured.
In the individual category, Dr Youssef Ibrahim al-Abdullah, Ali Abdullah al-Fayyad, Salem Saeed al-Muhannadi, the family of the late Amina al-Jaidah, Kamal Naji, the grandchildren of Sheikh Hamad al-Marwani, Fahd Ahmed al-Obaidli, and Sheikh Fahd bin Ali al-Thani were honoured. From the Ministry of Culture, Mohamed Saeed al-Balushi, Abdulaziz Ahmed al-Mutawa, and Saleh Ahmed Ghareeb were honoured.
Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA), the National Archives of Qatar's Public Relations and Communication Department acting director Noura al-Qubaisi said marking this day is meant to nurture and the historical memory of the country, since the national archiving is a prime source of scientific and historical research.
The occasion promotes awareness of the significance of preserving documents and documentary heritage in the country as a prime legacy of the state, affirming that legacy is a shared responsibility between relevant bodies, individuals, and owners of private libraries, she added.
Ministry of Culture's Department of Culture and Arts director Abdulrahman Abdullah al-Dulaimi underscored the importance of archiving in the memory of nations and their knowledge. Behind all landmarks of a proud civilisation, stories and secrets that embrace treasures of knowledge and history exist, he said while pointing out that archiving is the clue to understand the past and preserve the momentous events in the life of nations through which the evolution pathways and change the societies underwent through are comprehended at all economic and sociopolitical levels.
The National Archives of Qatar was established as an advanced centre to preserve the historical memory and national identity that protect Qatar's legacy at the local, regional, and global levels. The archives are meant for organising, collating, and gathering, classifying, and overseeing documents, in addition to protecting them from damage.
It aims to ensure access to information and documents and streamline its uses through setting standards and policies that regulate the archives management process.
