Paris, 18 December — the Arab Renaissance for Democracy and Development (ARDD) was represented by its Chief Executive Director, Adv. Samar Muhareb, at the celebration of World Arabic Language Day held at the headquarters of UNESCO in Paris. The annual event brought together nearly 300 participants from the Arab region and diverse international backgrounds, affirming the Arabic language as a cornerstone of culture, identity, and belonging.
This year’s celebration, held under the theme “Innovative Horizons for the Arabic Language: Policies and Practices Towards a More Inclusive Linguistic Future,” explored how digital transformation is reshaping the presence of Arabic across media platforms, social technologies, and digital storytelling. The discussions emphasized the expanding reach of Arabic among youth and different social groups, and the importance of inclusive language policies in reinforcing the role of Arabic in education, cultural identity, and social justice.
As part of the official program, Adv. Muhareb participated in the first session entitled “Empowering Arabic for Inclusion and Innovation,”* which brought together voices from academia, civil society, national language institutions, and UNESCO. Through her intervention, she highlighted the importance of viewing language as a public good and a tool for inclusion, stressing that empowering Arabic is closely linked to promoting equity, participation, and access to knowledge, particularly for marginalized and underrepresented communities within multilingual societies.
Mrs. Muhareb underscored the need for long-term, forward-looking language policies and stronger institutional cooperation to ensure that Arabic maintains a meaningful presence within academic, technological, and cultural institutions, as well as within global knowledge systems. Her contribution reflected ARDD’s broader commitment to inclusive development, social cohesion, and the protection of cultural and linguistic rights across the Arab region.
The celebration was organized within UNESCO’s framework, in partnership with the Permanent Delegation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to UNESCO, and with the support of the Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Foundation, reinforcing the collective responsibility to advance the Arabic language as a living, inclusive, and globally engaged language.
