The National Archives and Library of the UAE has dedicated a special corner to display a rare collection of historical photographs of the UAE's founder, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may God rest his soul. The photographs were captured by the lens of British traveler and explorer Wilfred Thesiger. The exhibition is presented on the 'Memory of the Nation' platform as part of the Sheikh Zayed Festival. This visual documentation embodies a pivotal phase in the history of the United Arab Emirates. The 'Memory of the Nation' platform showcases a number of historical photographs, most of which date back to 1948. It was in that year that Thesiger met Sheikh Zayed in the Al Muwaiji Fort in Al Ain city, one of the prominent milestones that documented the features of leadership and social life during that period. The photographs of Sheikh Zayed taken by Thesiger's lens, along with his writings about the UAE and the region, hold historical and human value. They reflected his field observations of important aspects of the lives of Bedouins and the inhabitants of the Arabian Peninsula, based on his close relationship with the local community where he spoke Arabic, respected customs and traditions, and wore local attire, earning him the nickname 'Mubarak from London'. Wilfred Thesiger is considered one of the most prominent Western travelers and explorers whose name is linked to the region, having made exploratory trips across the Rub' al Khali desert in the 1940s, accompanied by tribal members. He lived their daily lives, documenting their customs, traditions, and ways of living in a harsh desert environment, all of which occurred before the discovery of oil and the beginning of modern transformations. 1948 is the year to which most of the displayed photographs belong.
