About Us 

The SLA - Arabian Gulf has existed for 10 years. There is a growing enthusiasm in Arabian Gulf for information specialists to work together. Not only is SLA- Arabian Gulf one of the few Arabian Gulf organizations that can help you find colleagues in Arabian Gulf, but it is the only one that can offer you a direct link to a very large and active network of information professionals working 6 countries. Join us now and help build an invaluable forum in Arabian Gulf.

The idea of establishing the Arabian gulf chapter of the special libraries association was initiated by a number of librarian from different gulf countries: Saudi Arabian oil company (ARAMCO), Bahrain university, and King Fahad university of petroluem and minerals. The main object behind establishing this chapter was to serve the Arabain gulf community. Consequently, the chapter held the first conference in Bahrain in Feruary1993 in which the first bord was compiled consisting of the following:

Dr. Young / Bahrain university was elected as the president.
Dr. Mohammed Saleh Ashoor / King Fahad university was selected as the president elect.
Mr. Rashed Najem / Bahrain university was elected as the treasurer.

After that a number of annual conferences were held in different gulf countries as follows:

1. First annula conference was held in Bahrain in 1993
2. Second annual conference was held in Bahrain in 1994
3. Third annual conference was held in UAE in 1995
4. Fourth annula conference was held in Kuwait in 1996
5. Fifth annual conference was held in UAE / Dubai in 1997
6. Sixth annula conference was held in Bahrain in 1998
7. Seventh annual conference was held in Oman in 1999
8. Eighth anuual conference was held in UAE in 2000
9. Nineth annual conference was held in Qatar in 2002
10. Tenth annual conference was held in Kuwait in 2004
11. Eleventh annual conferenc ewas held in UAE in 2005
12. Tweveth annual conference was held in Oman in 2006
13. Thirteenth annual conference was held in Bahrain in 2007

The SLA is the leading association for information professionals and special librarians. Based in Washington DC in the United States, SLA currently has 12,000 members with 25 subject Divisions and 58 regional Chapters. Each Division and Chapter has newsletters, publications and meetings, and it is here you will find a wealth of contacts in your own "special" subject area.