National Library and Archives of the United Arab Emirates
The National Collection of Aerial Photography has been working with the National Library and Archives of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to digitise tens of thousands of aerial photographic images of the UAE, to transform access to this unique imagery.
The National Library and Archives
The National Library and Archives (NLA) in Abu Dhabi was founded in 1968 by Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the first President and founding father of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It serves as the custodian of the Government’s records and is dedicated to the collection and preservation of the UAE’s documentary heritage as well as providing documentation and research services.
Aerial Photography Project
The National Collection of Aerial Photography (NCAP) holds over 150,000 aerial images that cover the UAE. Taken primarily by the British Royal Air Force – as well as commercial aerial survey firms, the United States Army Air Forces and the United States Navy – during nearly 800 flights, they provide decades of repeat coverage of the country. These images cover a period of great change across the seven Emirates now making up the UAE, starting in the 1940s and continuing through independence in 1971, with the latest imagery dating from the 1980s.
In 2024 an agreement was reached with NLA to create high-resolution digital copies of the first 50,000 images. Work on this first phase was completed by NCAP in Edinburgh, at its world-leading facility for the physical preservation, digital imaging and applied use of historic aerial imagery. This collaboration has ensured the permanent survival of this unique aerial photography and its permanent preservation at NLA as an important part of the nation’s memory. This imagery is being made accessible online for the first time via the NCAP online platform, as well as NLA’s Arabian Gulf Digital Archive (AGDA).
Through this project, NLA is uniquely placed to showcase the extraordinary evolution and growth of the UAE over fifty years. This aerial perspective will transform the capacity to understand the rich, intriguing and complex history of the seven emirates and wider Arabian Gulf.
IN THIS SECTION
Directorate of Overseas Surveys Partnership
Working with Stockholm University and the University of California (Berkeley), this partnership delivered a pioneering digitisation programme.
Edinburgh International Data Facility
Our research collaboration with the EIDF facilitates access to high-performance computing infrastructure, enabling the development of advanced algorithms and creation of analytics-ready datasets.
Irish Defence Forces
NCAP has been working with the Irish Defence Forces to digitise tens of thousands of aerial photographic images and associated records held by the Irish Military Archives.
The Medmenham Collection
With significant elements of the NCAP collection originating from RAF Medmenham, our relationship with the Medmenham Collection remains a valuable one.
National Archives and Records Administration
In 2016, NCAP began a partnership with NARA to copy its extensive holdings of aerial photography, with a particular focus on images from the Second World War.
Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales
NCAP has been working with the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales to digitise tens of thousands of aerial photographic images held in The National Monuments Record of Wales.