National Archives of India Delegation Explores Bilateral Cooperation with Oman’s National Records and Archives Authority

New Delhi: A delegation from the National Archives of India (NAI), led by Arun Singal, Director General of Archives, visited the National Records and Archives Authority (NRAA) of Oman on February 21-22, 2024. The purpose of the visit was to identify areas of mutual cooperation in the archival field.

During the visit, the NAI delegation was given presentations by various divisions of the NRAA, including Electronic Records and Document Management Systems, Microfilm Department, Private Record Section, Access to Record Department, Electronic Storage, and the Conservation Section. The delegation also visited the Permanent Exhibition of Records and the Document Destruction Lab.

In bilateral discussions with Dr. Hamad Mohammed Al-Dhawyani, Chairman of NRAA, Shri Arun Singhal highlighted the historical ties between India and Oman. He informed the Chairman about the existence of a significant number of records related to Oman in the NAI and other Indian repositories.

As a goodwill gesture, Shri Singhal handed over a list of 70 select documents related to Oman available in the National Archives of India. The documents cover a period from 1793 to 1953 and encompass various subjects, including the change of Omani Flag, succession of rulers, official visits, and treaties.

In addition, facsimile prints of three important treaties between India and Oman were gifted to the NRAA. These treaties date back to 1865 and 1798-1800.

The Director General, NAI, and the Chairman, NRAA, emphasized the need to formalize institution-to-institution cooperation between the two countries. A draft of an Executive Programme of Cooperation (EPC) was finalized during the discussions. The proposed EPC includes activities such as organizing joint exhibitions, exchanging digital copies of documents, facilitating exchange programs, and publishing joint materials based on curated archival content.

The delegation also interacted with representatives of the Indian diaspora in Oman, encouraging them to preserve their private archives, offering NAI’s technical help in conservation and digitization.

Both parties look forward to signing the EPC in the near future after approval from competent authorities. The proposed collaboration aims to enhance the historical understanding between India and Oman through archival cooperation.