Sultan bin Ahmed launches First Int’l Arabic Language Conf

During his speech, Dr. Hamid Majoul Al Nuaimi, Chancellor of the University of Sharjah and Chairman of the Supreme Committee of the Conference, expressed his gratitude to the President of the University of Sharjah for sponsoring the conference. He emphasized the importance of advancing the Arabic language, activating its significant role in understanding revelation, and preserving the nation's heritage, which is evident through the sponsorship.
Al Nuaimi also highlighted the University of Sharjah's interest in scientific research and knowledge circulation, particularly in the field of the Arabic language. He stated that this conference is a testament to the University's commitment to strengthening the Islamic and Arab identity of the nation through the continuous pursuit of teaching the Arabic language based on the latest curricula. Additionally, it explores the prospects for developing and sustaining the language's leadership in international language classifications, given the world's rapid developments.
The university Chancellor highlighted the importance of the university's role in not only identifying challenges but also finding innovative solutions to them. The aim is to achieve development that keeps up with the times and serves future generations. This requires the parallel development of curricula, methods, and tools to achieve a rich knowledge acquisition level in teaching, research, and community service.
Al Nuaimi acknowledged the significant efforts made by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, towards promoting the Arabic language. He praised him for his tireless work in harnessing material and moral resources to serve the language. His Highness has elevated the status of the Arabic Language Academy and helped to issue its rich historical dictionary.
Al Nuaimi referred to the conference as an excellent global platform for exchanging innovative ideas and experiences. The conference aims to provide creative solutions to challenges faced by the Arabic language, particularly in the field of digitization and computer technologies. The goal is to ensure the language's sustainability conditions. The scientists attending the conference present their research, which contributes to the conference's objectives and its virtuous message. Al Nuaimi also pointed out the University of Sharjah's prestigious status and its position as attested by international classifications and partnerships. The university has a clear edge in scientific research in terms of quantity, quality, and citation, with a wide reputation for sustainability.
The chancellor concluded his speech by thanking all those who contributed to the success of the conference, including specialized scientific and academic institutions, universities, and public figures from inside and outside the country.

Dr. Zahia Ismail Al Salhi, who is the Acting Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, delivered a speech emphasizing the significance of the conference. The conference was designed to address a crucial issue through research and study. This is particularly important in the current times when global languages are competing for dominance.

Dr. Salhi highlighted that during the golden age of Islamic civilization, the Arabic language was able to assimilate various other civilizations that existed simultaneously. Through this assimilation, it made itself a part of a single civilization with a global vision and a humane perspective. This was the first time in history that such a thing had happened.
She highlighted the significance of Arabic language as a global language, considering the fact that it is spoken by 362 million native speakers, and 274 million speakers of it as a second language, making it one of the most important global languages and one of the official languages of the United Nations. She also emphasized the importance of conferences that discuss the Arabic language, particularly due to its special features.

According to Dr. Zahia Ismail, the Arabic language is the most important factor upon which our nation is based. It is an essential element in building the identity of every individual of this nation and the language of the Holy Qur’an. It has become one of the strongest ties and links between Muslims, and a global language sought by millions of Muslims in the world due to its connection to their religion and Islamic culture. Dr. Zahia Ismail also mentioned that non-Muslims are also interested in learning the Arabic language to communicate with the people of the language and to communicate with the Arab and Islamic heritage. The Arabic language is the key to Arab and Islamic culture, as it allows its learners to see the cultural and intellectual depth of a nation that has been influential for several centuries and left a vast cultural legacy in various arts and sciences.

Dr. Maryam Saeed Blajid, the Head of the Department of Arabic Language and Literature, and the Head of the Conference Organizing Committee, gave a welcoming speech to the attendees. She emphasized the importance of the conference, which derives from the excellence of the Arabic language and the necessity of studying it. She also highlighted the great efforts made by the Arabic Language Department at the University of Sharjah in teaching, planning, and presenting research and studies in various language fields. Moreover, she mentioned the department's contributions in postgraduate studies, literary competitions, seminars, scientific conferences, and workshops, which enrich the language through various activities.
She announced the launch of the "Scientific Forum: Arabic Language and Grammar" at the University of Sharjah. This platform aims to restore the deserved presence of grammar and linguistic sciences using modern methods. She also announced the release of the electronic version of the conference book, which consists of four chapters and includes fifty papers. She dedicated the book to the President of the University of Sharjah. In conclusion, she expressed her gratitude and appreciation to everyone who contributed to the conference's success.

The attendees and the President of the University of Sharjah viewed a video presentation covering the conference objectives, themes, prominent speakers, and attendees from different Arab countries.
During the conference, Dr. Fawaz Mohammed Al Rashid Al Zaboun, the President of the Hashemite University in the Kingdom of Jordan, delivered a speech on behalf of the speakers and participants. He expressed his gratitude and appreciation to the University of Sharjah, commending its commitment to the Arabic language and its Arabic language department. He also praised the conference for its broad participation of renowned scientific figures, diversity, organization, follow-up, and direction. The conference emphasizes the significance of scientific research in the Arabic language, literature, and sciences, given their historical importance to the Arab people, nation, and the future of science in universities and academic institutions.

The audience watched a visual presentation of a poem entitled "The Royal Poem," composed by Emirati poets Najat Al Dhaheri, Muzaffar Al Hammadi, Hamda Al Awadi, and Asma Al Hammadi. The poem discusses His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah's efforts in supporting the Arabic language.
At the conclusion of the opening ceremony, Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi honored the speakers, participants, session directors, and conference sponsors. 

The conference's objective is to emphasize the role of the Emirate of Sharjah and its leader in promoting the Arabic language, its cultural projects, and its modern cultural message. It also aims to develop Arabic language curricula's digital content in line with the demands of digitization, sustainable development, and the integration between Arabic linguistics, educational trends, and contemporary psychological and social studies. Furthermore, the conference provides insights into the future of linguistic planning for the Arabic language, its teaching and learning, and the challenges posed by digital transformation. The conference also seeks to provide visions to modernize Arabic language and literature departments, update their curricula and plans, and develop contemporary educational resources and curricula that serve the Arabic language and disseminate them across the country in a manner that is consistent with the era's data.
The conference will address several subjects related to linguistic and literary studies, the challenges of digitalization and sustainability, applications of artificial intelligence, applied linguistics, Arabic literature and the challenges of the digital age, the historical dictionary of Arabic, and the requirements of sustainability. Additionally, there will be a unique topic on the Arabic language under the patronage of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, which will study the literary and cultural achievements of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, as well as cultural and academic institutions in Sharjah.
The conference, which will hold 13 sessions over two days, will also discuss the development of the Arabic scientific language, the challenges of Arabization and digitization, the development of digital content for Arabic language curricula in light of sustainable development, the integration of efforts in planning and drawing up linguistic policies to confront challenges, and the study of knowledge integration between linguistics and other sciences.