This was announced during a Press conference held yesterday at the School of Scientific Research where more than 400 Arab researchers have gathered and discussed topics pertaining to the main contents of the encyclopaedia that will be ready for publication within five years.

Dr Mouza Ghoubash, Director of the centre and the Chairman of Directors Authority, told Khaleej Times that the main aim of the encyclopaedia is to highlight UAE sovereignty and to prove to people that UAE's development is not only attributed to the prosperity witnessed in economy, commerce, tourism and infrastructure but also to the great achievements in the scientific field.

"UAE as a country deserves to have its own encyclopaedia like any other progressed and developing countries. The encyclopaedia will offer an insight about UAE in the past and in the present and will provide comprehensive explanation about various topics concerning UAE."

Dr Ghoubash added that 1,000 Arab researchers are expected to contribute to the encyclopaedia and that the majority of them will be UAE nationals.

Maamoon Al Tameemi, Executive Director of the encyclopaedia, said that the encyclopaedia would facilitate the job of readers who are keen on reading valuable and reliable information concerning UAE. " The encyclopaedia which is considered a national project will not only act as a reference for readers, but is also considered an important addition to UAE libraries."

Ways of writing  scientific researches and reports, the importance of conducting interviews and ways of successfully handling an interview and successful ways of preparing a detailed comprehensive research, were among the topics highlighted during the conference.