Voices of the Nation: The Fifth UAE International Oral History Conference

The National Library and Archives gathers us for an exploration of memory, identity and the intimate stories that shape a nation. On Thursday, 12 November 2026, the Fifth UAE International Oral History Conference opens at Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Hall, bringing together a distinguished group of scholars and specialists to examine the theme of family as the foundation and heartbeat of society, pulsing with the nation’s collective memory.

Oral history holds a particular power: it captures the unwritten currents of lived experience, the details and textures that official records alone cannot contain. By collecting, preserving and making accessible these spoken accounts, we secure the sources that document the UAE’s journey and its remarkable development. The conference affirms this commitment, recognising that family narratives are not merely personal stories but the sinews connecting individuals to their national identity and heritage.

The programme unfolds across three focused sessions, woven together with specialised training workshops designed for those who wish to understand the craft of gathering and documenting oral accounts. These workshops offer practitioners and scholars the methods to listen carefully, to record with rigour, and to preserve the voices that might otherwise fade into silence.

In this gathering of minds and voices, we recognise that the stories of families are the stories of a nation. Each recollection, each memory shared, each account preserved becomes part of the living archive that grounds us in who we are and where we have come from.