Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) celebrate the World Arabic Language Day 2021 at the headquarters of UNESCO in Paris, France, December 18, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
According to UNESCO, the theme of this year’s World Arabic Language Day is a call to reaffirm the important role of the Arabic language to people through culture, science, literature and many other fields to connect. “The Arabic language is a bridge between civilizations,” it stated
The celebration took place with cooperation between the Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture, The National Committee for Education, Culture and Science, and the Kingdom’s permanent delegation to UNESCO, the Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Foundation, and the King Salman International Complex for the Arabic Language.
The opening speech was attended by Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Representative to UNESCO, Princess Haifa Bint Abdulaziz Bin Mohammed Bin Ayyaf Al Muqrin, along with the Assistant Director-General for the Social and Human Sciences Sector at UNESCO, Gabriela Ramos, and the Director-General of Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Charitable Foundation, Saleh Al-Khulaifi.
Princess Haifa, in her speech at the beginning of the ceremony, highlighted the efforts made by the Kingdom in relation to the Arabic language locally, regionally and internationally.
The activities of the World Arabic Language Day aim to enhance the presence of the Arabic language in international organizations, and deepen its position among non-native speakers, in addition to introducing the aesthetics of the Arabic language and its arts, and promoting its practice locally and internationally, SPA reported.
To celebrate International the World Arabic Language Day the Saudi Arabia Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai hosted a variety of events, sharing the inspiring beauty of Arabic calligraphy with visitors.
On December 16, 2021, the Arabic calligraphy was officially inscribed on the list of the Unesco’s list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Arabic is one of the most widely spoken languages on the planet and is used daily by more than 420 million people.
World Arabic Language Day is celebrated every year on December 18 since 2012. The date coincides with the day in 1973 that the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted Arabic as the sixth official language of the Organization.