The Center of Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers at the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) held a training session in the Republic of Kenya on, “Writing African Languages in Arabic Script.” The training session is organized in partnership with the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), the International University of Africa (IUA), through Youssef Al-Khalifa Center for Writing Languages in Arabic Script in the Sudan, the Najaah Islamic Institute in Malindi, and Al-Munawwarah College in Mombasa.

The opening session of this ten-day training session was held on Saturday, 22 May 2022, and saw the participation of Sheikh Ahmad Al-Badawi, Director of the Najaah Islamic Institute in Malindi, Dr. Abdulah Abu Bakr Al-Kahtib, Dean of Al-Munawwarah College, and Dr. Babiker Qadri Mari, Director of Yusuf Al-Khalifa Center.

Following the opening session, Ms. Rajae El Hakkouni, Program Assistant at the ICESCO Center of Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers, gave an address where she highlighted ICESCO’s new orientation about encouraging African communities to write their local languages in Arabic script.

The session benefits more than 40 trainees enrolled in various educational institutions specializing in Islamic and Arabic studies in the Republic of Kenya. The training session is overseen by Dr. Saber Abdullah, Director of the Training Department at IUA, and Dr. Mubwar Ali, a local expert specializing in the Arabic language.

The training session is organized as part of the cooperation agreement between ICESCO, IsDB and IUA.