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Dubai / Emirates Business
The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation (MBRF) held a press conference at its headquarters in Dubai on Wednesday, to disclose details surrounding the fourth edition of its Bil Arabi initiative.
Launched in 2013, the initiative seeks to promote Arabic-language communication on traditional and social media platforms, in an effort to reinstate Arabic as an influential global language. A week-long event, Bel Arabi begins on December 18 each year, which coincides with the United Nations’ Arabic Language Day.
The press conference was attended by His Excellency Jamal bin Huwaireb, Managing Director of MBRF, along with a number of journalists and media personnel from various UAE media organisations. The conference shed a light on the events included in the Bel Arabi initiative this year, which encourage attendees to share details of their participation in Arabic on all social media platforms.
In his speech at the conference, H.E. bin Huwaireb explained that the Bil Arabi initiative aims to spread knowledge and raise awareness around the importance of ensuring that the Arabic language is present and used on all platforms. What is more, H.E. continued, the initiative seeks to protect the Arabic language against marginalisation and to encourage the younger generations to use Arabic in their daily lives.
Bil Arabi highlights the beauty, flexibility, and versatility of the Arabic language, H.E. added, revealing that the initiative sought to enrich Arabic content on the Internet, as more and more Arabic-speaking users gain access to the world wide web – the number had reached 155 million by the end of 2015.
The initiative boasts a busy events calendar meant to appeal to all segments of society. Most notable of these events include the e-panel discussions with prominent decision makers in the UAE. The discussions seek to explore subjects related to the Arabic language and the challenges it faces, providing participants with an opportunity to communicate directly with these influential figures.
Moreover, the Foundation will be installing booths for Bil Arabi at more than 10 locations around the UAE, where people can take part in an event that requires them to read “Wamadat Min Fikr†by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, as well as a number of books published by MBRF’s publishing arm, Qindeel Printing and Publishing. The books cover a number of subjects including innovation, happiness, and tolerance. Participants will be videotaped reading parts of the books; the footage will then be condensed in one video that will be broadcast on YouTube. The hashtag #Bil_Arabi is set to see massive interaction across social media platforms as users take part in the initiative and share posts about its various events.
The initiative also includes the creation of the largest collage made up of the photos of community members supporting and taking part in Bil Arabi. Once completed, the artwork will be displayed in the Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR) area of Dubai.
Bil Arabi is endorsed by a host of public and private institutions, including: Dubai Municipality, Dubai Customs, Takatuf, Aramex, Etisalat, Masafi, Emirates Youth Council, Cartoon Network, Majid Comics, Gerard, Caribou, Al Bayan Newspaper, Emarat Al Youm Newspaper, Al Watan Newspaper, and Al Ittihad Newspaper.