Records management and archiving in UAE: a beginner's handbook

Records management is the key to unlocking greater potential in an institution's execution of its overall mandate. Despite the indisputable role that records management play in promoting service delivery, productivity, good governance, and accountability among many other functions, there has been a continued invisibility on the importance of formally trained records and information management professionals. A preliminary survey of the status quo in the United Arab Emirates shows that even though many organizations do not have formally trained personnel in records management and archival administration, there is a high level of appreciation on the need to meet international best practice in records and information management through receiving formal training among other ways. Instead of having trained records management practitioners, many institutions are using the expert services of the National Library and Archives of UAE while others resort to having their records management needs taken care of by private consultancy companies. Although this is not bad practice, the ideal situation would be to have onsite records management professionals who are able to ensure that the organization's records management needs are fully met. In this respect, it is prudent to acknowledge the collaborative effort made by the Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi and the National Archives of UAE, who took the initiative to professionalize records management through establishing training programmes in records management and archival science at Certificate, Bachelor's, and Masters' degree levels. The initiative is a giant step towards professionalizing records management and archiving in UAE and the Gulf region.