Cairo: The Arab Document Day 2025 events concluded at the League of Arab States headquarters in Cairo, bringing together key Arab memory institutions and bodies. Organized by the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States in partnership with the Arab Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives, the event took place on November 12-13, 2025.
According to Union of OIC News Agencies, the Palestinian National Library was a notable participant, represented by Fawaz Salameh, Director General of Documentation and Archives. On the opening 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 seven Arab nations—Palestine, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Iraq, Libya, and Sudan—was endorsed by the Council of the League at the Ministerial Level in 2018. The meeting focused on implementing the strategy, coordinating Arab efforts, and reviewing technical and diplomatic procedures, with representatives from ALECSO and the Arab Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives in attendance.
Salameh, as Vice President of the Arab Regional Branch, also participated in an annual coordination meeting with the General Assembly of Heads of Arab Archives. This meeting focused on enhancing institutional cooperation and developing working mechanisms between Arab archives to strengthen the preservation of the Arab memory.
On the second day, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, inaugurated the exhibition “The Journey and the Destiny” at the League’s museum. The exhibition, featuring photographs and historical documents, highlighted the history of joint Arab relations since the university’s founding. In his address, Aboul Gheit emphasized the importance of protecting national archives and advancing preservation and digitization methods.
The event also honored several Arab artists and researchers in documentary heritage, notably awarding Palestinian candidate Aziz Al-Asa in the researcher category. A scientific symposium titled “Eighty Years of Joint Arab Action” was also held, featuring discussions on archiving and documentary work, including a research paper by Professor Fawaz Salameh on utilizing digital transformation in preserving documentary heritage.
The Palestinian National Library’s involvement underscores its commitment to protecting Palestinian archives and enhancing professional cooperation with other Arab nations in this significant field.