PARIS — World Arabic Language Day events kicked off Saturday under the theme "The Contribution of the Arabic Language to Human Civilization and Culture" at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris.

The event is supported by The Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Foundation, and organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in cooperation with the permanent delegation of Saudi Arabia and Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Foundation.

The opening of the ceremony was attended by the Saudi Ambassador to France Fahd Bin Mayouf Al-Ruwaili, the Assistant Director-General for the Social and Human Sciences of UNESCO Gabriela Ramos, and Princess Haifa Bint Abdulaziz Al Muqrin, Saudi Arabia’s permanent representative to UNESCO, and a group of specialists and interested people.

Ramos said that this celebration highlights the power of a language that brings together more than 450 million speakers on five continents, as the world today looks at the many contributions of the Arabic language to human civilization and culture.

Princess Haifa Al Muqrin highlighted the Kingdom's ongoing efforts to serve the Arabic language locally, regionally, and globally, including the establishment of specialized colleges and university institutes to teach and learn Arabic to non-native speakers.

She also highlighted the allocation of many valuable and international awards for translation from and to Arabic, such as the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Award for Translation, King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz International Center Award for Arabic Language Service, and the King Faisal International Prize in Arabic Language and Literature.

This is in addition to the role of Arab institutions in promoting the Arabic language through its qualitative local and international translation activities, as well as holding exhibitions, conferences, and seminars to spread the Arabic language.

The celebration witnessed many activities and discussion sessions, including a session entitled "Cultural Diversity" that dealt with the experience of the Arabic language and its interaction with other languages.

Another session discussed common human values in terms of the capabilities of digital technologies and modern means of communication, while specialists reviewed the perception of cohesion and social inclusion through Multilingualism.

The participants praised the efforts of the Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Program to support the Arabic language at UNESCO, and its role in promoting the language in international forums and events.

This had contributed to civilized communication, spread of Arab culture globally, increase its presence and uses in UNESCO, and expand the circle of those interested in learning the language, in addition to the Foundation’s adoption of several support programs for teaching Arabic to non-native speakers.

Meanwhile, King Salman Global Center for Arabic Language is scheduled to celebrate the Global Day for Arabic Language which falls Sunday.

The two-day event will be held in the Diplomatic Quarter, a fine district of capital Riyadh. Grassi Park of the DQ is set to host the occasion which will be open for the public from 4 p.m. to 10 on Sunday and Monday.

This year's event will be held under the slogan 'the contribution of Arabic Language in Humanitarian Civilization and Culture', organizers said. — SPA