Dr. Salim M. AlMalik, Director-General of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), met with Dr. Abdullah bin Saleh Al-Washmi, Secretary-General of the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language (KSGAAL), and his accompanying delegation. The meeting took place as part of the International Conference on the Status of the Arabic Language in the World and aimed to explore ways to strengthen cooperation between the two entities and develop joint initiatives to support the spread of Arabic while enhancing its regional and international presence in scientific, educational, and cultural fields.

Discussions focused on several key issues, including the development of Arabic language curricula to align with modern technological and knowledge advancements, as well as the enhancement of programs targeting non-Arabic speakers to expand the language’s global reach.

Dr. AlMalik emphasized that promoting the Arabic language is an integral part of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in the Islamic world. He highlighted that the partnership between ICESCO and the Academy would provide innovative solutions to reinforce Arabic’s usage across various sectors.

For his part, Dr. Al-Washmi affirmed the Academy’s commitment to collaborating closely with ICESCO in implementing high-impact projects that support the Arabic language and highlight its civilizational role. He praised ICESCO’s strategic vision, which has significantly contributed to strengthening Arabic’s global presence. Additionally, he referenced a joint project between the two institutions to launch an international report on the status of Arabic in 30 countries across five continents, with contributions from specialized researchers, aiming to bolster the language’s regional and global standing.

Furthermore, Dr. Al-Washmi outlined the Academy’s key focus areas, including language planning and policy, educational and cultural linguistic programs, and computational linguistics.

Following the meeting, Dr. AlMalik accompanied Dr. Al-Washmi and his delegation to ICESCO’s “Mishkat” Center, where they were introduced to the Organization’s virtual training courses, conducted by experts and accessed by learners from various countries. They also received a briefing on a newly launched Arabic language course for non-Arabic speakers.