The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), in cooperation with the Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation for Medical and Educational Sciences, and in coordination with ICESCO’s Educational Center in Malaysia and the Islamic University of Selangor, is organizing the first periodic Regional Forum 2025 for the benefit of educational leaders in the field of Arabic language in Southeast Asia, under the theme: “Developing Productive and Creative Language Skills in the Era of Digital Applications and Artificial Intelligence.”

ICESCO is represented at the forum, held at the Islamic University of Selangor in Malaysia from 21 to 24 July 2025, by Mr. Adel Bouraoui, Advisor to the Director-General in charge of ICESCO’s external bodies for the Arabic language, who participated in the official launch ceremony for the upgrade of the Islamic University of Selangor from a university college to a multidisciplinary university, under the patronage and in the presence of His Royal Highness the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, along with several ministers and senior officials.

In his address during the forum’s opening session, Dr. Bouraoui outlined ICESCO’s vision and strategic orientations for teaching the Arabic language to non-Arabic speakers, which emphasize the critical importance of leveraging artificial intelligence and digital transformation to further elevate the status of the Arabic language and enhance learning and teaching programs for both native Arabic speakers and students of other linguistic backgrounds. Dr. Bouraoui also noted that this forum constitutes an integral part of the ICESCO–Hamdan Bin Rashid International Program to Support Arabic in Non-Arabic-Speaking Countries.

The forum brings together ninety-five educational supervisors, policymakers, and select Arabic language instructors from Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam, China, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. The sessions feature a series of presentations and capacity-building workshops focused on leveraging educational technology and artificial intelligence to enhance Arabic language programs for non-Arabic speakers in their respective countries.

The forum will explore diverse themes, including “Computational Linguistics and Language Teaching,” “Utilizing AI Applications in Teaching Arabic to Non-Arabic Speakers,” and “Interactive E-Learning Platforms and Mobile Applications in Arabic Language Education.”