Another first for UAE: TRA launches UAEpedia

The UAE today became the first country in the region to have its own encyclopedia as the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) of the UAE launched UAEpedia.ae, an online media library that showcases the history and culture of the United Arab Emirates.

Based on the Wikipedia concept, UAEpedia will be managed and updated by volunteers, and has been launched in Arabic with an English version to follow.

UAEpedia is an initiative of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, to support the Arabic language. The UAEPedia is based on the UAE’s Vision 2021, and is part of the government’s 2011-2013 strategy.

“This project will play a key role in establishing the national identity or reinforcing the national identity as it will encourage collaboration among the UAE nationals and is in line with the UAE Vision 2021’s pillar – ‘United in knowledge’. This information will also benefit researchers, media personnel, scholars and other interested people,” said Mohamed Al Ghanim, TRA’s Director-General.

It contains 18 sections include a section for the definition of the Islamic religion, as well as a section on the UAE’s heritage, also a section about the Arabic language and its literature and geography of the United Arab Emirates as well as other sections.

The UAEPedia is an electronic encyclopaedia of the UAE, and has been developed as an online repository of information on the country. It is a joint effort between the different sections of society who will collaborate to enrich the content.

The UAEPedia aims to strengthen the national integrity. It is an initiative of the UAE Federal eGovernment Strategy 2012-2014 which chalks out the path for the UAE’s eTransformation and aims at increasing the UAE’s competitiveness in the field of eGovernment.