UNESCO, KSA Mark Int'l Day of Arabic Language

UNESCO and KSA gear up to celebrate the International Day of the Arabic Language on Dec. 18 with special events planned this year.

The theme of this year is “The Contribution of the Arabic Language to Human Civilization and Culture” and it's focused on the numerous contributions of Arabic to humanity’s cultural and linguistic diversity, as well as to knowledge production.

To mark this year’s special occasion, UNESCO is convening a series of round table discussions and cultural events in its Headquarters in Paris. Academics, researchers, experts and youth will gather to debate on: Cultural Diversity: The Experience of Arabic Language and Synergies with Other Languages Sharing Human Values; The Potential of Digital Technologies and Modern Communication Methods and Envisaging Social Cohesion and Inclusion Through Multilingualism.

As part of the cultural events organized by UNESCO, a live mural calligraphy will take place throughout the entire day. The celebration will conclude with a concert starting at 19:00.

This celebration is being organized in collaboration with the Permanent Delegation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to UNESCO, in partnership with the Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Foundation.

According to a statment by UNESCO, UN Languages Days promote and celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity, as well as the equality of all official languages used in the Organization and its agencies: Arabic (18 December); Chinese (12 November); English (23 April); French (20 March); Russian (6 June); and Spanish (12 October).

The ceremony also coincides with the International Decade for the Rapprochement of Cultures (2013-2022), for which UNESCO is the lead UN Agency.