New ISSN National Centre to Open in United Arab Emirates

NISO Member News

Paris, France | May 29, 2024

The ISSN International Centre is pleased to announce the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the National Library and Archives, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and the ISSN International Centre on May 29, 2024. This agreement is a prelude to the opening of the 94th ISSN National Center, which should take place shortly. 

His Excellency Abdulla Majed Al Ali, Director of the National Library and Archives, said: " I am pleased to meet you and to sign this important agreement between the ISSN International Centre and the National Library and Archives. I highly appreciate your effort to preserve knowledge and world cultural and world intellectual production. On behalf of NLA, I would like to express my thanks to all of you and I am looking forward to more cooperation to share with you in the future. Thank you very much.”

Dr. Gaelle Bequet, Director of the ISSN International Centre, commented, “Following this accession, we are here today to mark the signing of the Working Agreement between the National Library and Archives and the ISSN International Center, which is not only a milestone in our journey together, but also a testament to the shared vision, commitment and hard work of all parties involvedThis agreement underscores our dedication to excellence and our commitment to achieving remarkable results together.”

About These Organizations

About the National Library and Archives, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

The NLA was established in 1968 as the Center for Documentation and Research (CDR) by His Highness Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the first President of the UAE. Its objectives were defined as the collection of documents and information relating to the history and culture of the Arabian Peninsula in general, and the United Arab Emirates in particular, from primary sources in Arab and foreign countries. Forty years later, the late President of the UAE, 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). By 2021, the NLA was ranked as the sixth most advanced organization in its category in the world in terms of tools and technology used. The mission of the NLA is to preserve the documentary heritage through distinctive archival, documentation and research services to provide decision-makers and the public with reliable information and to enhance civic spirit and national identity, while the vision is to provide distinctive archival, documentation and research services. 

About the ISSN International Centre

Officially established in Paris on January 21, 1976, the ISSN International Centre is an intergovernmental organization that coordinates the activities of 94 ISSN National Centres located in its member countries. The ISSN International Centre provides online services such as the ISSN Portal, which provides quality identification metadata for more than 2.5 million serial titles and continuing resources. Each year, the ISSN Portal grows by approximately 60,000 new serial titles identified and described by the ISSN network.