His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development, inaugurated the UAE National Film Library and Archive (UNFLA) on Tuesday, April 30, 2013.  The new library is located in a state-of-the-art archive room housed in Zayed University Library, Abu Dhabi Campus

Present at the opening were key UAE officials including H.E. Mohammed Al Ghanim, Director General of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA). Also attending the ceremony were major players in the media and film industry with the likes of Abu Dhabi Film Festival director Ali Al Jabri; several well-known Emirati directors, including Nujoom Al Ghanem, Nawaf Al Janahi, and Khalid Al Mahmood; esteemed TV presenter Saoud Al Kaabi; Sama Dubai TV presenter Ahmed Abdulla; and Saleh Karama, director of the Emirates Film Competition, to name a few.

UNFLA will be the nation’s permanent home for films produced or co-produced by the UAE, films funded by the UAE, and Emirati films that have won a place at the Dubai Film International Film Festival, Abu Dhabi Film Festival, Emirates Film Competition, Gulf Film Festival and ZUMEFF.

UNFLA is being funded through a grant from Zayed University. The film collection began just over a year ago, with a catalogue database developed by one of the principle investigator, festival programmer Ozge Calafato. The collection and preservation of the films also involved over 15 research assistants, mostly Zayed University undergraduate students, all of whom received certificates of appreciation during the launch.

Dedicated to UAE films, this library will also preserve films in their original format, as well as scripts, translations, subtitles, posters, media clippings and other related materials.  The films will not be allowed out of the library nor will they be available for public screenings, except with the written permission of the rights holders. 

The library, the first of its kind in the region, is the permanent home of all UAE made and funded films. The current catalogue includes over 500 titles.