Latifa bint Mohammed honors the winners of the Mohammed bin Rashid Arabic Language Award in its ninth session

Under the generous patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, and in the presence of Her Highness Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairwoman of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, the Mohammed bin Rashid Award for the Arabic Language, one of the initiatives of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Library Foundation, honored a new elite of innovators in its ninth session, in recognition of their pioneering efforts in serving the Arabic language and enhancing its presence in the world. The fields of education, culture, technology, media and linguistic policies.

This honor came on the sidelines of the opening of the Eleventh International Conference on the Arabic Language, whose activities began in Dubai and will continue until the twenty-fourth of this October, with the participation of more than 1,500 thinkers, researchers and academics from various countries of the world, confirming the status of Dubai and the Emirates as a global center for celebrating the Arabic language and preserving its cultural and cognitive identity.

Inspiring initiatives and Arab presence

The list of winners in the ninth session included a group of qualitative initiatives that varied between education, technology, media, linguistic policies, and culture.

In the education axis, the “Anisa Alif” initiative from the UAE won the award for the best initiative to teach the Arabic language in early education, while the “Al-Fasih Institute” initiative from Jordan won the award for the best initiative to teach Arabic to non-native speakers, while the “Abjadiyat” initiative from the Emirates won the award for the best initiative to teach Arabic in school education.

In the technology axis, the “Learn” initiative from Lebanon won the award for the best smart application for disseminating the Arabic language, while the “Majara” initiative from the Emirates won the award for the best work in the Arabic language in electronic media and social media, while the “Al-Moharik” application won the award for the best work in the Arabic language in traditional media.

As for the axis of linguistic policy, planning and Arabization, the “Rational Management of Antimicrobials” project won the award for best initiative in this field.

In the axis of culture, thought and the knowledge society, the “Student Behavior Management Plays” initiative from the Sultanate of Oman won the award for the best cultural and artistic work that serves the Arabic language, and the “Single Days” festival from the Emirates won the award for the best initiative to promote the culture of reading and the knowledge society.

The ceremony concluded by honoring the Spanish writer Roberto Sanchez, who won the Distinguished International Personality Award, in recognition of her contributions to introducing the Arabic language and spreading it in European cultural circles, which reflects the humanitarian and cultural extension of the Arabic language at the global level.

Global platform

Mohammed Ahmed Al Murr, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Library Foundation and Chairman of the Award’s Board of Trustees, confirmed that this honor reflects the UAE’s firm vision of making the Arabic language a national identity and a civilized strategy for excellence and creativity, noting that the Award has become a leading international platform that sheds light on the initiatives that have restored the Arabic language’s influential presence in the fields of education, media, culture and technology.

Al-Murr said: “Today, the award has become an Arab and international knowledge reference, and a destination for institutions and individuals seeking innovation in serving Arabic, which translates the UAE’s trends in building a knowledge society rooted in its language and culture.”

He added that the qualitative contributions witnessed in the current session reflect the depth of the award’s impact and its breadth of scope, stressing that the winning works constitute a qualitative addition to the process of preserving the Arabic language and developing its tools in the digital age.

Research platform and new initiatives

In the same context, the Eleventh International Conference on the Arabic Language witnessed the launch of a number of ambitious initiatives, as Dr. Ali Abdullah Musa, Secretary-General of the Conference, confirmed that the event has become a scientific and knowledge platform for exchanging experiences, ideas and projects that advance the Arabic language and face contemporary challenges in education, media and the labor market.

Moussa explained that the conference “has become a destination for ideas, a springboard for initiatives, and a catalyst for inspiration,” noting that his scientific research contributes to shaping the future of the Arabic language by proposing innovative scientific and societal solutions to the challenges of the times.

He announced the launch of two qualitative initiatives on the sidelines of the conference: The first is the “Arabic Language Month” initiative, which received the approval of the Ministries of Education and Foreign Affairs in the Arab countries, and aims to nominate each country one hundred distinguished linguistic works, with more than 2,200 works expected to participate, with a ceremony honoring the winners being held next April. The second initiative is the “International Arabic” project for linguistic literacy, which provides a 100-hour training program to consolidate reading and writing skills in Arabic according to a contemporary interactive curriculum.

Strengthening the status of the language

The award and conference activities reflected the spirit of renewed interest in the Arabic language as a bridge of knowledge and communication between peoples, and a source of cultural and intellectual creativity and innovation. It also embodied the UAE’s commitment to enhancing the presence of the Arabic language in international forums and employing the tools of the digital age to serve and disseminate it to future generations.