Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) organised a series of events and activities to mark World Arabic Language Day, celebrated on 18 December every year. This comes as part of DEWA’s policy to consolidate national identity and pride in Islamic and Arab values, support national efforts to preserve Arabic, and strengthen its position locally, regionally and globally.
“Our national identity is integrally linked to the Arabic language, which serves as an effective medium to express our values, culture and heritage. Promoting the language will enable our future generations to connect with our roots, society and values more effectively.” With these passionate words filled with affection for our Arabic and Islamic roots, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, highlighted the special place the Arabic language occupies in the hearts of its native speakers who recognise its importance, unique words, expressions, composition, and vocalisation. HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched a series of initiatives to revive Arabic as a language of knowledge and science and to promote online Arabic content. The latest one is the Mohammed bin Rashid Arabic E-Learning Project, which includes a Translation Challenge, that aims to translate 11 million maths and science terminology into Arabic. The Translation Challenge calls on all Arabs to help translate 5,000 videos and 11 million words of world-class math and science material to Arabic, to be available online for free, for over 50 million Arab students,” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA.
“DEWA is proud to follow the directives of our wise leadership in elevating the status of Arabic language which constitutes the heart of our national identity. This supports the objectives of the UAE Vision 2021 to establish the UAE as a centre for excellence for Arabic, and the Dubai Plan 2021 to make Dubai a home for individuals who are proud of their culture. DEWA strives to promote the use of Arabic in all internal and external government contacts, communications, services, and operations and reporting systems. We also prioritise naming initiatives and projects in Arabic and give great attention to the use of Arabic as a main language for our press releases, articles, reports, interviews, advertisements, and social media posts, while making continuous efforts to develop awareness and educational programmes that bolster knowledge of the Arabic language among our employees,” added Al Tayer.
“On the occasion of World Arabic Language Day, we renew our commitment to supporting Arabic as a language of science, innovation, and future, and maintain it as an Islamic value and national duty to consolidate our national identity and historical roots,” concluded Al Tayer.
The activities included newsletters to all employees about the most prominent Arabic language scholars, types of Arabic calligraphy, and the common linguistic challenges in Arabic language, in addition to a live Arabic calligraphy show.