Upon directives of the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al-Nahyan, the National Archives was established in 1968 under the name of “Documents and Research Bureau”, and was affiliated with Al Diwan Al Amiri (Ruler’s Court). Its objectives were defined as collecting 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. It has been entrusted with the documentation and translation of these documents. In 1972, its name was changed to the Center for Documentation & Research (CDR). Federal Law No. (7) for 2008 was issued to establish the National Center for Documentation & Research (NCDR) and then Federal Law No. (1) for 2014 was issued to change the name of “National Center for Documentation & Research (NCDR)” to “National Archives”.