Forum highlights role of Arabic language

A three-day coordination forum between universities and institutions with the aim of promoting Arabic as a linguistic identity in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states will conclude tonight. The forum was launched in Riyadh on Tuesday.
Minister of Higher Education and general supervisor of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Center for Arabic (KAICA), Khalid bin Mohammed Al-Angari, said that the forum aims to strengthen collaboration between parties involved in promoting Arabic language.
Al-Angari said there are plans to develop and implement linguistic identity in GCC countries.
The event, which is held under the auspices of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, was organized by KAICA at a local hotel recently.
Al-Angari said the Kingdom has devoted efforts to strengthening the role of the Arabic language.
Arabic is the official language of the Kingdom and of 22 Arab countries, with Dec.18 being celebrated annually as the “International Day for Arabic language.”
Moreover, it is the only language to be associated with the Qur’an and hence its importance as an element of Islamic identity is reinforced. Al-Angari said that Arabic is one of the most important medium through which people can build the nation and protect its integrity.
He said Saudi Arabia continuously promotes the Arabic language by teaching it at higher-education level, whether public or private, by creating faculties and departments and by establishing institutes which specialize in Arab science within the Kingdom and abroad.
It has also contributes to the financing of a number of scientific chairs specialized in Arabic at several prestigious universities.
“KAICA is proud of the Council of Trustees, which includes in its membership a group of experts and specialists from Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries,” Mohamed bin Abdurrahman Al-Dalaq, chairman of the Board of Trustees, said.
In this regard, the center’s General Secretary Abdullah bin Saleh Al-Washmi, said that the success of the center is contingent on his duty to follow up on the needs of the Arabic language both at the local and international levels and to provide services to individuals and institutions. The forum also includes a symposium which reviews the efforts of Gulf countries for the Arabic language.