Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation promotes advancement of Arabic language with launch of 10th edition of ‘Bil Arabi' initiative

Dubai, UAE, December 15, 2022- The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF) launched the 10th edition of the ‘Bil Arabi’ initiative. As one of the most prominent knowledge projects, it promotes the use of the Arabic language and its vocabulary in daily lives and social media, as well as highlights the distinctiveness and ability of the language to keep up with the current age of knowledge and development.

The 10th edition of MBRF’s ‘Bil Arabi’ initiative also coincided with World Arabic Language Day, which is observed on December 18 every year. The annual project lasts for a week and encourages community members to use the Arabic language in their daily lives and social media platforms, in order to strengthen the Arab identity and demonstrate its viability as a language for the modern era. The initiative features a series of events, workshops, and panel discussions to honour Arabic as one of the most respected languages, and further highlight its ability to keep up in the modern age of communication.

The ‘Bil Arabi’ initiative is accessible to all societal groups, as the events are held in some of the major shopping malls across the nation, including City Center Mirdif, City Centre Al Zahia, City Centre Ajman, City Centre Fujairah, and Al Ain Mall. The initiative is crucial for enhancing the role of the Arabic language and its presence in the world of social media, especially with the rapid progress of digitisation and increasing availability of digital Arabic content on various social media platforms.

Every year, a significant number of people from various societal groups participate in the ‘Bil Arabi’ initiative. Consequently, the previous iteration of the event was able to achieve positive results by taking centre stage among international activities and events pertaining to the promotion of the Arabic language, owing to the large participation and interaction of people from different nationalities.

His Excellency Jamal bin Huwaireb, CEO of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation, said: “The ‘Bil Arabi’ initiative has successfully demonstrated its potential to have a significant impact on the use of the Arabic language and its presence in various fields, through its previous sessions. With the tenth consecutive session of the project, we continue to advance our vision by making effective contributions and shaping policies that increase the use of the language by both current and future generations. The initiative also advances our goal of strengthening the status of Arabic as a language that expresses our identity, culture, values, authenticity, and heritage. Moreover, we are pleased to witness the growing interest in the initiative, as well as the significant support from various institutions and government agencies across all fields, which strongly reflects the community's awareness of the need to promote the language as a viable form of communication."

“MBRF is committed to providing platforms that promote knowledge development in the Arab world, with a focus on the empowerment and preservation of the Arabic language. This year, the ‘Bil Arabi’ initiative will include a series of activities and sessions aimed at encouraging the use of the Arabic language and elevating Arabic content on digital platforms. Over 25 e-panel sessions with experts, as well as non-speakers, were conducted with a strong focus on the youth. We look forward to greater participation in future sessions, where we can work together to preserve the Arabic language and advance its use across various facets of society,” Bin Huwaireb added.

The ‘Bil Arabi’ initiative was launched by MBRF in 2013. The initiative has evolved over a decade into a pioneering knowledge project that has made significant contributions to accelerating the growth of Arabic digital content, while also making efforts to address challenges and expand the use of the language in the modern digital space.

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