Cairo: The Arab Document Day 2025 events have successfully concluded at the League of Arab States headquarters in Cairo. The event, held on November 12-13, 2025, saw extensive participation from various Arab memory bodies and institutions.
According to Union of OIC News Agencies, the event was organized by the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States in collaboration with the Arab Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives. The Palestinian National Library played a significant role, represented by the Director General of Documentation and Archives, Fawaz Salameh. On the first day, Palestine led the fifth meeting of the Executive Committee of the Unified Arab Strategy for the Recovery of Looted, Plundered, and Transferred Archives in Colonial Countries. This strategy, involving Palestine, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Iraq, Libya, and Sudan, was established by the Council of the League at the Ministerial Level Resolution No. (8266) on March 7, 2018.
The meeting focused on the strategy’s implementation mechanisms, the coordination of joint Arab efforts, and a review of necessary technical and diplomatic procedures. It included representatives from the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), Dr. Hala Gad, and members of the Arab Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives.
Salameh also participated in the annual coordination meeting between the Arab Regional Branch and the General Assembly of Heads of Arab Archives. This meeting aimed to enhance institutional cooperation and promote partnerships in preserving the common Arab memory, as well as developing working mechanisms between Arab archives.
On the second day, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, opened the documentary exhibition “The Journey and the Destiny” at the League’s museum. The exhibition, attended by Arab archives officials, ambassadors, and cultural figures, features photographs and historical documents that reflect the history of joint Arab relations since the university’s founding.
In his address, the Secretary-General emphasized the significance of strengthening joint Arab efforts to safeguard national archives and improve preservation and digitization methods, highlighting their role as the memory of peoples and nations.
The event also recognized several Arab artists and researchers in documentary heritage. The Palestinian candidate Aziz Al-Asa was honored in the category of researchers and those interested in documentary heritage.
Alongside the events, a scientific symposium titled “Eighty Years of Joint Arab Action” was conducted, consisting of two sessions with researchers specializing in archiving and documentary work. Professor Fawaz Salameh presented a paper on “The Reciprocity of Collective Preservation of Documentary Heritage – Utilizing Digital Transformation in Arab Collective Awareness.”
The Palestinian National Library’s active involvement reaffirms its dedication to its Arab role in protecting Palestinian archives and memory and to enhancing professional cooperation with Arab counterparts in this essential field.