King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives (Darah)

The King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives "Darah" is a government institution specialized in preserving and collecting resources related to the history, geography, literature, and antiquities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as the history of the Arabian Peninsula, and the Arab and Islamic worlds. Darah serves as a reference for Saudi history. Established by Royal Decree in 1972 and headquartered in Riyadh, its board of directors is chaired by Prince Faisal Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz.

Several specialized centers are affiliated with Darah, namely:

The Center of Makkah History, founded in 2008 in Makkah al-Mukarramah, specializes in serving the history of Makkah al-Mukarramah through studies, research, publications, and scientific events.

King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Center for Historical Materials Conservation "Tarmeem," since its establishment in 2005, specializes in caring for historical resources through sterilization, cleaning, restoration, processing, and photocopying.

The Red Sea and the West of Saudi Arabia History Center, located in Jeddah, was established in 2013 and specializes in servicing the history of the Red Sea and the west of the Kingdom through studies, research, publications, and scientific events.

The Oral History Center, established in 1995, specializes in conducting audio and video interviews with storytellers, elders, and contemporary narrators, and maintaining such recordings for utilization in the fields of studies and historical scientific research.

The Historical Images and Films Archive Center, established in 2001, specializes in the preservation of images, sound reels, various film tapes, audio tapes, and cinematic film reels.

The Saudi Center for Historical Geographical Information Systems (Saudi HGIS) is the first center founded in the Kingdom with the aim of harnessing geographic information systems to serve the Kingdom's history in its various political and civilizational aspects, establishing geographical databases of administrative units and placenames, and linking them to accurate digital maps.

The Saudi Center for Digital Content (Raqmin) specializes in the preservation and processing of information, digital transfers, and digital archiving, according to state-of-the-art technologies and advanced techniques.

The hall is one of the Kingdom's historic museums, containing the most prominent collectibles of the Founding King Abdulaziz Bin Abdulrahman Al Saud, as well as information on his history with regard to the unification and establishment of the Kingdom. The hall’s architectural design follows a traditional vernacular that facilitates mobility within and optimizes its function as a cultural and historical museum.

One of the historical palaces in the city of Riyadh, al-Murabba was ordered built by King Abdulaziz within a complex of royal palaces in 1939. The palace occupies an area of up to 1,680 m and is currently a museum supervised by Darah.

Darah is a member of a multitude of international councils and associations, namely:

• International Council on Archives (ICA).

• Arab Regional Branch of the ICA (ARBICA).

• Union of Arab Historians.

• General Secretariat of Documents and Studies Centers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

• GCC Geographical Society.

• GCC History and Antiquities Society.

• Saudi Historical Society.

• U.S. Oral History Association.

• British Oral History Society.

Darah provides specialized archival and electronic services, including a secured search service within its library indexes and the archives of the Umm al-Qura and Sawt al-Hijaz newspapers. Additionally, it offers access to resources such as the Dictionary of Literature and Litterateurs (qāmus al-adab wal udabā‘), the Lexicon of Countries and Tribes (mu‘jam al-bildān wal qaba‘il), and the Kingdom's Geographical Names Fact-Finder (mustakshif al-asmā‘ al-jughrāfiyya) through Digital Maps. Darah operates an outlet for selling its print publications and provides complimentary access to books and scientific studies. Moreover, it facilitates inquiries about its services, including requests for historical information, documents or manuscripts, sterilization and restoration of historical materials, and historical photographs and video clips, among other services.

Darah grants the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Prize for Studies and Research of the History of the Arabian Peninsula, and periodically publishes a scientific journal focused on its field of competence, the Darah Journal of Arabian Peninsula Studies, the maiden issue of which was published in 1975. Darah also produces scientific books in its field of competence, with some five hundred issues published to date including authored works, encyclopedias, and atlases.

Since 2019, Darah has adopted the Antame program, directed by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, crown prince and prime minister, to produce modern media, programs, and products suitable for young people to understand their country's national history. One of the program’s outputs is the "Ya’rib" cartoon series, which tells the story of certain aspects of the ancient history of the Arabian Peninsula and received groundbreaking viewership from millions of young people.