World Arabic Language Day 2023

This year’s commemoration coincides with the 50th anniversary of the proclamation of Arabic as one of the six UN official languages. To pay tribute to the poetic and artistic brilliance of the Arabic language, UNESCO will bring together researchers, academics, youth, and heads of international institutions.

The event will serve as a solid platform to delve into the discussions on the Arabic language's influence on shaping knowledge, societal transformations through poetry, and its impact on the arts, while fostering cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue. 

The Roundtables within this initiative will center on: 

• Philosophy and Poetry: The Contribution of Arabic Poetry to Knowledge Shaping and Social Transformations

• Arabic Language and Arts: Broadening Scopes of Cultural Diversity

• ‘Arab Latinos!’: The Arabic Imprint in Latin America and the Caribbean

The 2023 edition of the World Arabic Language Day highlights language's importance in reuniting for a constructive dialogue, shaping perceptions, and cultivating understanding in the current global landscape marked by uncertainties and turbulence. 

Side Event

Additionally, as part of this initiative, a side event will be organized to reflect on the initial outcomes and highlights of the forthcoming publication focused on the role of Arabic in social inclusion and its preservation within the Arabic-speaking communities of Europe while promoting their integration into host societies.

Exhibition

Witness the exhibition showcasing the achievements in advancing the Arabic language under ‘Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Programme for the Arabic Language at UNESCO’ from the 18th to the 22nd December. The programme has fostered intercultural dialogue, enriched linguistic diversity through its projects and initiatives, promoted knowledge production and dissemination in Arabic, and, last but not least, endorsed the annual flagship event: World Arabic Language Day.

Since 2012, UNESCO marks World Arabic Language Day annually on the 18th of December in collaboration with the Permanent Delegation of Saudi Arabia, and in partnership with the Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Foundation.

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). 

Follow UNESCO’s social media channels via #ArabicLanguageDay