A special celebration of the 50th International Arabic Language Day is to be held in Sri Lanka today (18).
While this festival is observed globally, Saudi Arabia exuberantly commemorates it.
In Colombo, a special ceremony has been organized today following the guidance of King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud and Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, under the patronage of Khalid Hamoud Al Kahtani, the Saudi Arabian Ambassador in Sri Lanka.
This marks the first-ever International Arabic Language Day in the country.
Sri Lanka, a close ally of Saudi Arabia, is hosting an exclusive event for International Arabic Language Day, organized by Ambassador Al Kahtani, in Colombo today.
Concurrently, Saudi Arabia conducts annual Quran memorization competitions globally, including a national-level competition held in Sri Lanka last July under Ambassador Al Kahtani’s involvement.
In Colombo, various dignitaries, including ministers, diplomats, intellectuals, scholars, academics, and journalists will participate in International Arabic Language Day. The Ambassador has arranged a special speech and an Arabic calligraphy exhibition to emphasize the language’s importance to the people of Sri Lanka.
During a recent meeting with Education Minister Susil Premajayantha, Ambassador Al Kahtani advocated for recognizing the Arabic script as a subject for school students in Sri Lanka.
Moreover, individuals seeking employment in Saudi Arabia receive instruction in the Arabic language and Islamic guidance at Islamic cultural and guidance centres.
Students from various countries, including Sri Lanka, pursue higher education in Saudi Arabian universities, benefiting from scholarships offered annually. Apart from their academic pursuits, scholarship recipients undergo two years of complimentary Arabic language training, enhancing their ability to speak and write the language fluently. This initiative has led to the establishment of dedicated Arabic language faculties in all Saudi Arabian universities.
Given that the Quran is in Arabic, Muslim children worldwide, including those in Sri Lanka, are instructed to read it fluently from an early age. This practice ensures that Muslims globally can recite the Quran proficiently.
In Sri Lanka, Arabic language education is also imparted in Arabic colleges, with the Government recognizing and incorporating Arabic as a significant subject in general and higher education institutions, as well as in university curricula.
Arabic, the language of the Quran and Islam, holds great significance. Saudi Arabia’s commitment to preserving the Arabic language is evident in various initiatives, including the establishment of Arabic language learning centres and the King Salman Global Academy for the Arabic language headquartered in Riyadh.
Being the fourth most widely spoken language globally, Arabic gained recognition at the United Nations in 1974. Saudi Arabia emphasizes the conservation of the Arabic language, enshrining it in the first clause of its constitution and declaring it the official language.
King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud emphasized Saudi Arabia’s commitment to the Arabic language, stating that the foundation of all fields lies in Arabic identity. Efforts to improve Arabic language performance globally, including the establishment of an international centre for Arabic language services by the late King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz, are noteworthy.
(M.H. Shehudeen Madani, Director Al Hikma Welfare Association, Colombo)
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