The initiative has witnessed a large turnout from government entities, and is expanding its scope to include countries around the region and the world.

Dubai: – The Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF) has launched the fifth edition of the “Bil Arabi” initiative at a press conference held today (Wednesday, December 13, 2017) at the Youth Center in Dubai’s Emirates Towers.

Coinciding with the World Arabic Language Day, which the United Nations marks on December 18 of every year, the initiative seeks to preserve the Arabic language and promote its use across social media channels.

Her Excellency Jameela Al Muhairi, Minister of State for Public Education, attended the press conference, along with MBRF’s CEO H.E. Jamal bin Huwaireb. The press conference included an overview of the details of the “Bil Arabi” initiative and its agenda for this year’s edition, which seeks to engage all segments of society, as well as government and private-sector institutions in its activities starting on Thursday, December 14, 2017. The conference also shed light on the events set to take place all around the world as part of the initiative.

Speaking at the event, H.E. Jamal bin Huwaireb said that the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation launched the “Bil Arabi” initiative for the fifth consecutive year “in an effort to promote the Arabic language in our societies and to underline its fundamental and effective role in building positive bridges between us and various civilisations and peoples.”

“The initiative reflects the UAE’s commitment to the Arabic language,” he continued; “it includes a host of creative initiatives and projects, all of which have one end-goal: to protect and preserve the Arabic language, securing its standing among the languages ​​of the world. Since its very first edition, the ‘Bil Arabi’ initiative has been well received in all sectors and segments of UAE society, as well as in countries around the world. The initiative has become increasingly popular, drawing larger numbers of participants with its activities.”

“This reaffirms our conviction that Arabic speakers hold their language to very high regard, and would like to expand its use. Indeed, the ‘Bil Arabi’ initiative managed to score more than a billion impressions from all around the world on its social media channels – Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and SnapChat,” H.E. bin Huwaireb concluded, revealing that the Foundation and its partners have organised a year-long series of events and activities in the UAE and abroad that will target students and the wider public.

Present at the event, H.E. Jameela Al Muhairi launched “Bil Arabi” Club, explaining that the initiative targets students in all public schools, catering to their passion for the Arabic language and providing them with a space to hone their Arabic-language skills.

“The Ministry of Education is committed to developing and upgrading Arabic-language curricula, to enrich students’ language skills, which, in turn, will drastically improve their overall academic performance,” H.E. added. “To that end, the Ministry has made key improvements to its courses, offering students new ways to interact with the language and upgrade their knowledge and skills. The ‘Bil Arabi’ Club initiative adds to the Ministry’s previous activities and programmes to promote Arabic language skills, which have significantly improved students’ performance in Arabic classes nationwide.”

“The Ministry has dedicated a space for student clubs in its plans, which include the ‘Bil Arabi’ Club,” H.E. Al Muhairi continued. “This provides a free space for students to take the initiative and explore the Arabic language themselves – under the supervision of language experts. Our wise leaders have called on everyone to advocate for the Arabic language and generate more interest around it, encouraging its use in academic and scientific circles.”

Commenting on the Dubai Municipality’s support for the “Bil Arabi” initiative, H.E. Eng. Hussain Nasser Lootah said that the initiative offers an important opportunity for the Dubai Municipality to reaffirm its commitment to preserving the Arabic language by launching the “Dhad Charter”, an innovative initiative from the Dubai Municipality’s Dhad Team that seeks to promote the Arabic language and its proper use.

“This Charter offers ample support to the Arabic language, targeting all segments of the public in the Arab world,” H.E. Lootah explained. “The idea is to have people commit – through an electronic link we will disseminate on social media – to implementing at least five of the 23 requirements outlined in the Charter. With this initiative, the Dubai Municipality reiterates its support for the ‘Bil Arabi’ initiative and to protecting the Arabic language and promoting its use as a hallmark of our identity and heritage.”

Meanwhile, Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, Director of Dubai Customs, noted: “Our participation in this initiative by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation stems from our belief in the fundamental value of language in the life of every nation. It is our way of recognising the Foundation’s efforts to support this cause, and we are honoured to cooperate with all parties involved in the initiative to ensure its success and reflect the authentic cultural heritage of the UAE and its people.”

Musabih reiterated Dubai Customs’ full support to the initiative to promote pride in the Arabic language – the “cornerstone of Arab and Islamic identity” – and encourage native speakers to use it to access a wealth of knowledge and science, abiding by the sound policy of the UAE, which advocates for making Arabic the main language for culture and communication.

This year’s edition boasts a long list of events, including the “Bil Arabi” Club, which is formed in public schools to promote the Arabic language and scout for students talented in Arabic. In addition, there’s “I Tweet in Arabic”, which promotes the language on Twitter; the “Bil Arabi” Radio Show, broadcast on Al Oula Radio daily from 4:00 to 5:00 pm; and “Bil Arabi” Champions, which recruits social media influencers to become Arabic-language advisors to their followers.

An additional list of events was put together to target the wider community, including “Fusahaa Al Arab” (Arabic Eloquence), a daily radio show broadcast on Egypt Radio to introduce prominent Arab literaries, as well as online discussion forums, workshops for teaching Arabic to non-native speakers, and interactive activities through social media channels. Furthermore, dedicated “Bil Arabi” booths will be set up in 20 different shopping centres across the UAE and abroad, where members of the community will be able to take part in the initiative’s activities.

By cooperating with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation has expanded the activities of the “Bil Arabi” initiative to cover several countries in the Arab region and the world, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Egypt, Korea, the United States and Britain, among others.

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© Press Release 2017