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The King Abdulaziz Foundation for |
| Reprinted from the Middle East Studies
Association Bulletin, Summer 2001 (with changes in orthography to HTML standards). Copyright 2001 by the Middle East Studies Association of North America |
| THE KING ABDULAZIZ FOUNDATION for Research and Archives
(KAFRA) (Arabic title: Darat al-Malik Abdulaziz) was established in 1972 with the aim of preserving the history of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, along with its geography, literature, thought, and architecture. The Foundation is an independent academic establishment governed by a board of directors, chaired by HRH Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz
Al-Saud. Its funds are based on project returns, investment activities, government funds, and private donations. Its major sections are: Saudi History Archives, Oral History Center, Information Center, Research Department, Female Center,
Ad-darah Journal, the Library, King Abdulaziz Memorial Exhibition Hall, Muraba Palace, and the Royal Family History Center. During its twenty-nine years of existence, the King Abdulaziz Foundation has collected and preserved huge quantities of historical source materials: documents, manuscripts, books, magazines, photographs, sketches, paintings, films, and oral traditions. The Foundation is keen to collect, classify, and preserve historical documents in both original and duplicate forms. It has collected, as well as copied from, various archives and research centers outside the Kingdom. Its various activities include publishing scholarly books such as the Historical Atlas of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, travel accounts related to the Arabian Peninsula, indices of old Saudi newspapers, and several books translated into Arabic. The Foundation publishes a major scholarly journal called Ad-Darah, which includes articles related to the Arabian Peninsula, Saudi Arabia, and Arab and Muslim worlds in general. Major Activities for the Year 2000 The Symposium on Travel Accounts in the Arabian Peninsula was held on 21-24 October 2000, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Several papers were presented, dealing with major travel accounts on the Arabian Peninsula from the sixteenth century to the first half of the twentieth century. Participants from different countries contributed to this symposium. Travel accounts from Asia in the Urdu language, from Europe in German, English, French, Spanish, and Italian, and from Russia and the Arab world were discussed in this symposium. The King Abdulaziz Foundation sponsored this symposium as a manifestation of its interest to collect, discuss, and analyze the accounts of travelers as an important source of history in the Arabian Peninsula and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. An exhibition of the Arabian Peninsula in early European maps was organized during this symposium. The Oral History Center is another ambitious program, which has been planned and established to fulfill a major objective of the Foundation: preserving history. The Center was founded in 1996 as the first of its kind in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It embarked this year on a program to record the oral traditions of people who witnessed the early reign of His Majesty King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al-Saud (known as Ibn Saud). Furthermore, this year the OHC finished the preparation for the second phase of its nationwide program to collect folk stories and oral traditions. The Gulf Cooperation Council Society for History and Archaeology held its annual meeting in Riyadh (25-28 April 2000) under the auspices of the Foundation. The Society was established in 1997 with its head office at the King Abdulaziz Foundation. It provides an opportunity for specialists in the field of Arabian Gulf History to promote academic research avenues and scholarly works. New projects The Princess Sarah al-Sudairi Center for Women’s Studies was established to promote research and studies related to women in Saudi Arabia. Its name was derived from the mother of King Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al-Saud (Ibn Saud), who was known for her personality and influence. There are other objectives of this specialized center, such as offering training opportunities in methodology and digital information. The Center will also include the documentation of Saudi women’s contributions in various fields of Saudi society. Moreover, the Center will provide a forum for Saudi female scholars to be in contact with their counterparts outside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is expected that the Center will start its activities within the year. The Encyclopedia of Saudi Arabian History was approved by the board of the Foundation in order to make use of all new materials and sources related to Saudi history. This encyclopedia will encompass the period from the eighteenth century to the mid twentieth century. The Second National Survey of Historical Sources began in May 2001 and will focus on collecting oral history, folk stories, and manuscripts throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The first phase was completed in 1996 and its results were encouraging. The second phase will make use of the first results and cover more areas nationwide. The Annual Meeting of the Arab Branch of the International Council for Archives will be held in Riyadh in May 2001 at the Foundation. The theme of this meeting will be “Arab History in the Ottoman Archives.” The King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives may be contacted at: P.O Box 2945; Riyadh 11461; Saudi Arabia (www.darah.org.sa). |
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