World comes together to celebrate Arabic Language Day

Arabic is one of the most widely spoken languages on the planet - with the UAE leading efforts to sustain it

Arabic script at the Juma Al Majid Centre for Culture and Heritage in Dubai. Arabic is one of the world's most important languages. Satish Kumar / The National

The world will come together on Saturday to mark "World Arabic Language Day".

Arabic is one of the most widely spoken languages on the planet and is used daily by more than 400 million people.

This year’s theme - "Arabic Language, a bridge between civilisations" - is a call to reaffirm the important role of the language in connecting people through culture, science, literature and much more.

To celebrate the day, the UN's cultural body, Unesco, is organising a panel discussion on Friday where experts, academics and journalists will debate the historic role of the language.

Unesco has also organised an exhibition on "Arabic Language, a Bridge Between Civilisations" with the support of Saudi Arabia's Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Foundation.

The exhibition - displayed on the fences of its headquarters in Paris - runs until December 20. It includes work by 18 artists from 13 countries, deploying techniques from classical calligraphy to contemporary graffiti styles as a way to convey messages of hope, peace, resilience and unity.

The UAE has been leading efforts to sustain the language over the past few years.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, established the "Arabic Language Charter" that seeks to establish the UAE as a global centre of excellence for the language. Sheikh Mohammed previously announced the establishment of the Advisory Council for the Arabic Language, along with a package of initiatives to strengthen the position of the language.

Earlier this year, Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah and President of the Arabic Language Academy in Sharjah, launched the first 17 volumes of the "Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language".

World Arabic Language Day has been celebrated on December 18 every year since 2012.

The date coincides with the day, in 1973, that the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted Arabic as the sixth official language of the organisation.