The Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) participated in the international symposium entitled “Innovative Pathways for Arabic: Policies and Practices for a More Inclusive Linguistic Future,” organized by the Educational Center for the Arabic Language for the Gulf States, in cooperation with ICESCO’s Regional Office in Sharjah, in celebration of World Arabic Language Day.

The symposium, held on Tuesday, 16 December 2025, in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, brought together a select group of experts, academics, and educational decision-makers, who discussed current issues related to the future of Arabic, its teaching policies, the challenges of linguistic inclusiveness, and the role of regional and international institutions in supporting linguistic innovation.

Dr. Youssef Ismaili, an expert at the ICESCO Center of Arabic for Non-Arabic Speakers, represented ICESCO at this event, presenting a paper entitled “Linguistic and Technological Competencies and Their Impact on Arabic Language Learning for Non-Arabic Speakers.”

In his presentation, Dr. Ismaili highlighted the importance of adopting language policies that support innovation in teaching Arabic to non-native speakers. He also stressed the need to standardize reference frameworks and develop language training programmes for teachers in line with international standards to improve learning quality and outcomes.

At the close of the symposium, Dr. Issa Al-Hammadi, Director of the Educational Center for the Arabic Language for the Gulf States, presented honorary shields to Mr. Salem Omar Salem, Director of ICESCO’s Regional Office in Sharjah, and Dr. Youssef Ismaili.