Motion to protect Arabic adopted

Member calls for law to mandate the use of Arabic in federal, local and private workplaces

Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development, yesterday told the Federal National Council that he supported initiatives aiming to spread and empower Arabic language in UAE society.

Shaikh Nahyan was speaking as the House adopted a motion to reiterate previous motions to issue legislation and rules necessary for protecting the Arabic language. Concerned over the lack of use of Arabic and students’ poor skills in the language, Hamad Al Rahoumi, a member from Dubai, demanded that a law be enacted to mandate the use of Arabic in federal, local and private workplaces and in some other contexts.

Shaikh Nahyan agreed to the House’s demands that all recommendations to promote the use of Arabic, especially concerning development of Arabic language curriculums and teaching methods, be implemented.

Shaikh Nahyan, who chairs the Arabic Language Advisory Council responsible for supporting efforts to implement the initiatives made in the Arabic Language Charter, said efforts will be made to achieve a comprehensive change in these methods in public and private schools to enhance the standing of Arabic as a language of culture, science and civilisation. In 2012, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, announced wide-ranging initiatives to promote the use of Arabic, including the setting up of an Arabic Language Charter and the formation of an international committee of experts to promote Arabic as the language of science and technology.

Other initiatives announced by Shaikh Mohammad include the setting up of a dedicated educational facility at Zayed University to promote Arabic education for non-Arabic speakers, and establishing a faculty of translation at the Mohammad Bin Rashid Media College.

The international committee of experts to revive Arabic as the language of science and technology is headed by Dr Farouk Al Baz.