Today's Edition
SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
In the UAE, translation goes beyond language – it is a strategic tool that can foster cross-cultural understanding, safeguard national heritage, and tell the country’s story to the world.
On International Translation Day, observed globally on September 29, Prof. Saddik Gohar, an expert at the National Library and Archives (NLA), spoke to Aletihad about the pivotal role of translation in cultural diplomacy, preserving collective memory, and driving intellectual progress.
“Within the NLA, translation functions as a fundamental mechanism for safeguarding and perpetuating the country’s enduring legacies. Beyond preservation, it serves to promote multilingualism, cultural diversity, and the global dissemination of the UAE’s historical and contemporary achievements,” the translation expert said.
At the NLA’s Translation Division, historical and cultural heritage is rendered in multiple languages – including English, French, Spanish, Russian, German, Portuguese, and Hebrew – a vital effort in fostering dialogue between the UAE and the international community.
“By transmitting Emirati literature, historical narratives, and cultural expressions into global languages, it enables foreign audiences to engage meaningfully with the UAE’s identity and values,” Prof. Gohar said.
At the same time, translating world literature into Arabic expands local knowledge while connecting the UAE to global intellectual discourse.
“The Translation Division has also embarked on rendering Western travellers’, Orientalists’, and missionaries’ manuscripts and diplomatic records in Arabic, ensuring both the preservation and dissemination of historical knowledge,” Prof. Gohar said.
“In this dual capacity, translation functions as a form of cultural diplomacy.”
Translators' Pivotal Role
In this mission, translators step into a role far bigger than converting words from one language to another. In the cultural space, these experts must negotiate meaning, values, and world views across languages, the professor said.
Translators are expected to maintain the delicate balance between precision and cultural nuances, he stressed.
“Achieving equilibrium between fidelity and cultural resonance constitutes one of the most nuanced challenges in translation. Accuracy must be reconceptualised as fidelity to meaning, intent, and communicative effect rather than mere lexical equivalence.”
In fact, it is through translation that cultural nuances should be made clear to the audience, Prof. Gohar added.
Aiming to boost translation both as a discipline and a practice, the NLA runs a series of initiatives, from organising international conferences for leading scholars to the production of peer-reviewed publications documenting the outcomes of these gatherings. Regular workshops, lectures, and seminars are also conducted to strengthen professional capacity.
“Through sustained investment in skilled translators, digital platforms, and cross-cultural collaborations, translation can ensure the effective communication of the nation’s heritage and collective memory to global audiences, while also bringing international ideas into the local context,” Prof. Gohar said.
International Translation Day acknowledges the essential yet often invisible labour of translators in shaping cross-cultural understanding, the expert said.
“Through translation, intellectual and cultural accomplishments – from classical philosophy to contemporary scientific innovations – transcend linguistic and national boundaries.”
Prof. Gohar encouraged aspiring translators to acknowledge their work “as an endeavour of profound cultural and intellectual significance”.
“Each translation operates as a bridge connecting communities, preserving knowledge, and conveying human experiences across linguistic divides,” he said.
