JEDDAH: An online dictionary where users can search 421,196 entries across science, technology and the humanities has been launched by the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language and the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization.
The Unified Dictionary of Arabic Terminology was unveiled in Muscat, Oman, during the 28th session of the organization’s general conference. It brings together dictionaries previously published in separate editions and formats, allowing researchers, translators and specialists to search within a single interface.
The platform aims to standardize foreign-language equivalents for Arabic terms, improve the accuracy of definitions and expand the use of Arabic in scientific fields. Its data was reorganized according to international standards, and the dictionary can connect to external digital systems.
“Arabic is everyone’s responsibility, and we are stronger with our partners. Those who believe in the strength of their language develop effective tools to support it,” Abdullah bin Saleh Al-Washmi, the academy’s secretary-general, told Arab News. He added that the partnership with ALECSO had led to joint projects in language planning, dictionary development and computational linguistics.
The conference adopted the dictionary as a shared digital reference for Arab countries, drawing on the work of language academies, universities and specialist institutions. The Saudi academy will manage and update the platform and coordinate with ALECSO on its content.
The conference also approved a second Saudi initiative, the Language Policy Framework in Arab Countries. Al-Washmi said the project had documented nearly 2,000 language policy decisions across 22 Arab countries.
Under the resolution, the academy will work with ALECSO to publish periodic reports on language policy over the next four years. It will also develop an online repository of language-related decisions, regulations and directives for researchers and specialists.
Both projects were carried out by the academy and ALECSO in coordination with the Saudi National Commission for Education, Culture and Science. The dictionary was launched during the Kingdom’s chairmanship of ALECSO’s executive council.
Al-Washmi said the projects formed part of a broader Saudi effort to support Arabic, including the adoption of the National Policy for the Arabic Language by the Council of Ministers. He added that the academy’s work had reached more than 60 countries and produced more than 400 scholarly and educational publications.
