Culture & Education | Sunday 18 December, 2016 3:36 pm |

Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate's dedicated entity for culture, arts and heritage, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Arabic Language Protection Society — a non-profit association which operates in the United Arab Emirates. The MoU is intended to work towards instilling pride in the Arabic Language as the language of the Koran among children and the younger generation in particular, along with all the segments of the society.

The memorandum highlights Dubai Culture’s active commitment to collaborate with other cultural institutions in the UAE in order to achieve the Dubai Plan 2021 objectives to further establish the city as a global Arabian metropolis that shapes culture and arts in the region and across the world.

Under the terms of the MoU, there will be cooperation between Dubai Culture and the Arabic Language Protection Society, with a core focus on supporting a number of programmes that target all segments of society. The agreement aims to enrich the Arabic language in the Emirate of Dubai and its communities across the areas of culture, literature, arts and heritage.

In addition, the new MoU supports collaborative efforts by other public institutions to achieve integration, coordination and cooperation, in order to carry out the Dubai Government’s vision and strategy.

Fahad Al Mamari, Director of Dubai Public Library said: “We are delighted to collaborate with the Arabic Language Protection Society, and we recognise the importance of this partnership towards the preservation of national Emirati identity and culture. At Dubai Culture, we leverage various initiatives and projects as part of our commitment to preserve the Arabic language — a cornerstone of Emirati civilisation. To meet this commitment, we will work together to strengthen and preserve Arabic language in the face of the challenges posed by the influence of foreign languages in the Arab world. We are confident that our contribution to the Arabic Language Protection Society's objectives to uphold our national language will be evident, as the society is aligned with the vision and mission of Dubai Culture.”

Dr. Ali Abdl Kader, Managing Director (Vice Chairman) of Arabic Language Protection Society said: “The partnership between the Arabic Language Protection Society and Dubai Culture is rooted in a shared national and cultural commitment to further empower the Arabic language. Significant benefits and added value is provided to both participating parties, and this MoU serves to streamline our collaboration. The Arabic Language Protection Society is utilising its expertise as the first organisation specialising in Arabic language in the Arab world, and it has been serving this purpose for 18 years with volunteers reaching up to 1000 members. Our organisation seeks to provide support for publishing houses, school curriculums, training and reading, which provide great benefits to Dubai society.”

The signing of the MoU coincides with Arabic Language Day, which was first established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as an annual celebration of Arabic language on 18th December every year. This date commemorates the General Assembly of the United Nations’ adoption of the Arabic Language as its sixth official language in 1973, joining a distinguished list of major international languages, including English, French, Spanish, Chinese and Russian. This international initiative aims to safeguard the world’s intangible cultural heritage, and increase appreciation of the Arab language as an important cultural tool for expression.

The Arabic Language Protection Society’s activities in the UAE are centred on raising the awareness of the importance of the Arabic language at the official and popular usage levels, and as a spiritual and official language for a number of nations around the world. The Society also works to encourage national authorities, public and private institutions to promote the use of the Arabic language, and to utilise it as an important communication and advertising tool. The organisation also launches activities and initiatives that help to facilitate education for the young and for non-native speakers, through the organisation of lectures, symposia and seminars that serve to promote Arabic language.