Literature Commission Highlights Saudi Arabia’s Role in Teaching Arabic in South Korea

The Saudi Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission organized a seminar titled "The Role of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Teaching Arabic in Korea" at the Seoul International Book Fair 2024. (SPA)
The Saudi Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission organized a seminar titled "The Role of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Teaching Arabic in Korea" at the Seoul International Book Fair 2024. (SPA)
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Literature Commission Highlights Saudi Arabia’s Role in Teaching Arabic in South Korea

The Saudi Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission organized a seminar titled "The Role of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Teaching Arabic in Korea" at the Seoul International Book Fair 2024. (SPA)
The Saudi Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission organized a seminar titled "The Role of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Teaching Arabic in Korea" at the Seoul International Book Fair 2024. (SPA)

The Saudi Literature, Publishing, and Translation Commission organized a seminar titled "The Role of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Teaching Arabic in Korea" at the Seoul International Book Fair 2024, where the Kingdom was the guest of honor.

Cultural attaché at the Saudi embassy, Dr. Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al-Dayel attended the event.

Al-Dayel highlighted the history of the Arabic language and the great attention the Kingdom pays to serving this language.

He noted that Arabic is one of the Semitic languages and was divided into several languages until the Holy Quran was revealed in classical Arabic. This language was spoken by the tribes of Quraysh, Tamim, Hawazin, and Azd, thus ending linguistic differences in the Arabian Peninsula.

Saudi Arabia has shown immense interest in the Arabic language, as evidenced by Article 1 of the Basic Law of Governance, which identifies the Kingdom as an Arab Islamic state, he continued.

He stressed that the Kingdom had played a prominent and significant role in recognizing Arabic as a global language at the UN, making it one of the six official languages globally. This led to celebrating the UN Arabic Language Day, held annually on December 18.



'Riyadh Reads French' Initiative Brings French Culture to Riyadh International Book Fair

The Riyadh International Book Fair 2024 logo
The Riyadh International Book Fair 2024 logo
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'Riyadh Reads French' Initiative Brings French Culture to Riyadh International Book Fair

The Riyadh International Book Fair 2024 logo
The Riyadh International Book Fair 2024 logo

The Riyadh International Book Fair 2024 featured the return of the "Riyadh Reads French" initiative, which was introduced the previous year and gathered numerous French publishers specializing in various fields.

The initiative garnered significant attention and attracted a large number of visitors to the fair.

The French Embassy’s communication officer in Saudi Arabia, Alsaeed Ezz, elaborated that this year's edition aimed to enhance the experience and expand activities, with a particular focus on children. The initiative included over 25,000 books in its pavilions, with 118 French publishing houses participating. Additionally, the Alliance Francaise in Riyadh offered free French language courses to fair visitors, aiming to bring the French language and culture closer to Saudis and all fair attendees.

Ezz highlighted that the Alliance Francaise had dedicated a fully integrated section for children to cater to their needs and knowledge aspirations, with specialized supervisors offering activities such as drawing, reading, and expression to familiarize the younger generation with the French culture.

The initiative also involved Campus France, a national office facilitating registration procedures for studying in French universities and educational institutions. Campus France collaborated with relevant Saudi authorities to introduce available scholarship programs for studying in both English and French, as well as the requirements for obtaining bachelor's and master's degrees and conducting research in various fields.

This year's Riyadh International Book Fair saw a participation from over 2,000 publishing houses and agencies from the Kingdom, the region, and around the world, occupying 800 pavilions representing over 30 countries.