Every year on 18 December, the Arabic language is honored as a foundation of humanity’s cultural diversity, with approximately 400 million people speaking it worldwide. With the aim of supporting and promoting multilingualism and multiculturalism within the United Nations, the United Nations Department of Global Communications decided to celebrate the Arabic language on this specific date, as General Assembly Resolution 3190 (XXVIII), which included Arabic among the official and working languages of the United Nations, was adopted on 18 December 1973.
To understand the importance of the Arabic language, it is essential to examine in depth its characteristics and its contribution to global cultural heritage. In terms of the diversity of its forms—whether classical Arabic or its various dialects—from oral expression to aesthetics, and its presence in various fields such as architecture, poetry, philosophy, and song, the Arabic language has, over the centuries, created a distinctive aesthetic. At the same time, Arabic provides access to a vast range of identities and beliefs, with its history revealing the close relationship it maintains with other languages and cultures.
World Arabic Language Day offers an opportunity for people to honor this significant language, including its linguistic dialects, its cultural impact, its relationship with other languages, and its role as yet another language capable of promoting the enduring message of peace among peoples. For 2025, the messages of World Arabic Language Day focus on the importance of innovation and inclusion in shaping a more dynamic future for the Arabic language.
According to the official UNESCO website, World Arabic Language Day 2025 is themed “Innovative Pathways for Arabic: Policies and Practices for a More Inclusive Linguistic Future,” highlighting the importance of inclusion and innovation as part of the effort to shape a solid future for the Arabic language. At a related event at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, reference will be made to the role of education, technology, media, and public policy in promoting the presence and accessibility of Arabic in multilingual and resource-limited communities. In addition to UNESCO’s official celebration as part of World Arabic Language Day, events will be held in major European metropolitan centers around the world where the Arabic presence is significant. Such events include lectures, cultural and interactive programs, and conferences.
The significance and impact of the Arabic language can be illustrated through several statistical facts provided by EBSCO: Arabic is a prominent Afro-Asiatic language, spoken by over 380 million native speakers, making it the fifth most widely used language worldwide. Arabic functions as an official or primary language in more than 24 countries in North Africa and the Middle East, often referred to as the “Arab world,” although other sources indicate that the number is 22. The Arabic language has influenced many other languages, particularly in Europe, due to historical interactions such as the Moorish occupation of Spain. This influence is evident in Spanish, which incorporates thousands of words of Arabic origin, while several English words also derive from Arabic. The growing interest in Arabic language studies in the United States, especially after the events of 11 September 2001, has led to a significant increase in enrollments at colleges and universities. Indicatively, the number of American college and university students enrolled in Arabic language courses rose from 5,505 in 1998 to 35,083 in 2009, an increase of over 637%. Arabic is written from right to left in a calligraphic script. The twenty-eight letters of the Arabic alphabet are primarily consonants, with three letters serving a dual role as both consonants and long vowels.