The Akasa Center for Photography at New York University, Abu Dhabi, launched a set of Samir Farid, consisting of 600 photographs from the Egyptian cinema, which had never been shown before. The center obtained copies of these images from a set of photos belonging to the legacy of the late Samir Farid, writer, researcher and critic The famous Egyptian cinematographer. The collection includes a large series of copies of photos dating back to the period between 1940 and 1990, which were taken at different Egyptian film shooting sites, including spontaneous photos and pictures of actors and crew, in addition to photos taken behind the scenes during filming, which reflect social and historical changes over fifty Year. The Akasa Center uses the latest technology available to preserve the images and develop a digital copy of them due to its corrosive and fragile condition. In addition, the images were erased and then processed to determine the associated metadata, including the films that were taken from them, in addition to the actors and directors who appear in them. .
The digital archive at the center is making great efforts to preserve old photos that are easy to lose or lose, and it aims to provide the images to the public via the Internet to enhance their accessibility. To date, the Center has been able to publish more than 10,000 photos on the Internet via akkasah.org. The Akasa Center for Photography at New York University Abu Dhabi is hosting a huge archive of the photographic heritage of the United Arab Emirates and the Middle East and North Africa region. It also explores the history of photography and its contemporary applications in the region from a different perspective, as it supports the research study of various historical stages and artistic practices at a time that It supports dialogue with multiple cultures and photography traditions from around the world. The Akasa Center supports the development of photography culture in the Emirates through a wide range of activities.