Sharjah’s ALA Organises Seminar in Mauritania: Arabic Empowerment

The Al-Qasimi Hall at the Council's headquarters witnessed the proceedings of the seminar, where former Minister Sou Adama and Professor Khalil Al Nahawi, Chairman of the Arabic Tongue Council in Mauritania, spoke in the presence of officials from Mauritanian government departments, ambassadors, general secretaries, former governors, as well as members of the National Assembly of Mauritania, legal experts, and leaders of organisations working on Arabic language empowerment.

Language as a Bridge of Communication and Understanding:
Commenting on the seminar, Mohamed Safi Al Mosteghanemi, Secretary General of Arabic Language Academy (ALA) in Sharjah, said, "The seminar aims to enhance awareness of mastering the Arabic language and caring for it at various levels, based on the objectives of establishing this great institution by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, to solidify the status of the Arabic language in the African continent and enhance its role." He pointed out that improving the status of the Arabic language is linked to the academic, social, administrative, and political aspects of life, and mastering it is a fundamental tool for the success of leaders in fostering constructive communication with team members and the public, as it represents a primary bridge for communication, understanding, and persuasion.

The Role of Language in the Success of Government Officials:
Professor Khalil pointed out that the Quran contains administrative principles, as it emphasises the importance of language as a tool for communicating with people, stating: "And We have not sent any messenger except [speaking] in the language of his people to state clearly for them." This confirms that communication with people, serving them, and leading them are fundamental matters in administration, and to achieve that, one must speak to them in a clear language they understand. He noted that the Arabic language possesses a universal human specificity, stemming from the fact that it is the language chosen by Allah Almighty to address all humanity.

He said, "The universality of the Arabic language has been affirmed throughout the ages, and among its evidence in our era is that out of around 7200 languages in the world, Arabic ranks fourth in terms of the number of speakers, third as an official language, second in terms of geographical spread, and first in terms of the speed of growth in the number of internet users since the beginning of the twenty-first century."

The Reality of Arabic Usage in Government Circles:
During the seminar, administrative and linguistic expert Mr. Mohamed Fal Abdel Latif, a member of the Diwan of the Arabic Tongue Council, presented a lecture on the reality of Arabic language usage in Mauritanian government circles, which was followed by comments from former Prime Minister Sidi Mohamed Ould Boubacar and other participating figures.
At the end of the seminar, the participants issued a number of important recommendations to enhance the role of the Arabic language in government circles, aimed at achieving a positive development in the use of Arabic language and enhancing its presence in administrative work. Recommendations included developing specialised training programmes for government employees to enhance their skills in using Arabic language in writing and official communication, and directing efforts to increase awareness of the importance of the Arabic language and encouraging employees to use it effectively in official documents and correspondences.