NEW DELHI: Indian scholars and students gathered for sessions in New Delhi on Monday to observe a specially organized Arabic Language Month, as Saudi Arabia seeks to engage learners in the world’s most populous nation.
The King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language partnered with universities in Delhi and Kerala for the initiative, which is aimed at developing and improving its teaching for non-native speakers.
The program started with preliminary rounds of an Arabic-language competition earlier this month, the finals of which were held at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi on Monday.
“We believe that this is a month of great importance … We also believe that through this program we can continue discussions with experts, teachers and students (in India),” Abdullah bin Saleh Al-Washmi, KSGAAL’s secretary-general, said during his speech.
“We hope that with the grace of Allah we can continue holding this program in the future too.”
Since it was established in 2020, KSGAAL has been committed to preserving and sharing Arab culture and heritage, while its work has focused on fostering a greater understanding of Arabic.
While in India, the academy’s scholars will also hold training sessions for teachers.
Students and scholars in the South Asian nation say that Arabic is an important skill to learn because of globalization.
“The Arab world has emerged at the global scale, and this area holds very strategic importance for India and for the world, (for) energy security and other things,” Mujeebur Rahman, professor at the Center of Arabic and African Studies in JNU, told Arab News.
“India has very close economic cooperation with Saudi Arabia, with the UAE, with Egypt … So from a business point of view also, Arabic is very important, because (in) these countries they speak Arabic.
“Most of their transactions, whether business or other cultural transactions, are in (the) Arabic language, so it’s very important for us to engage in Arabic. In terms of diplomacy also, we need to study Arabic.”
Naim Akhtar, a JNU student who won the competition’s first prize, said it was important to learn about “the contribution of the Arab world.”
“It’s not anymore that Arabic is only for Arab people … There are a lot of opportunities, not only in terms of education, but also in economy, even in culture,” Akhtar said.
For Mohd. Rihan, a student from the Jamia Millia Islamia University in Delhi, learning Arabic was also about discovering India’s connections with the Arab world.
“India has connections with the Arab world from ancient times … When we learn this language, then India’s relations with the Arab world will be strengthened,” Rihan said, adding that it would open up opportunities for Indians in the region and vice versa.
“It is beneficial financially and educationally.”
