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Chinese Language Introduced in Saudi Schools

Students greeted Chinese language instructors with flowers and traditional Saudi hospitality, using Chinese phrases they had learned recently(X)
Students greeted Chinese language instructors with flowers and traditional Saudi hospitality, using Chinese phrases they had learned recently(X)
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Chinese Language Introduced in Saudi Schools

Students greeted Chinese language instructors with flowers and traditional Saudi hospitality, using Chinese phrases they had learned recently(X)
Students greeted Chinese language instructors with flowers and traditional Saudi hospitality, using Chinese phrases they had learned recently(X)

Schools across six Saudi educational regions—Riyadh, Yanbu, the Eastern Province, Jeddah, Jazan, and Tabuk—welcomed teachers from the People's Republic of China as part of the national project to introduce Chinese language instruction. This initiative aims to enrich students' linguistic and cultural diversity.

Starting this academic year, students will receive mandatory Chinese language lessons. However, grades in this subject will not impact students’ cumulative GPA, allowing them to learn the language without the pressure of traditional academic evaluation.

Chinese language lessons will be introduced to 57 schools in Riyadh, 41 in Jeddah, 25 in Jazan, and five in Khobar.

Maryam Al-Sari, principal of the Second Intermediate School in Sabya—one of the schools approved for Chinese language instruction in the Jazan Education Department—shared that the Chinese teacher began her duties on Monday.

To celebrate her arrival, the school staff organized a welcoming ceremony reflecting Saudi hospitality and culture.

Students greeted the teacher with flowers and traditional Saudi hospitality, using Chinese phrases they had learned recently. The day featured a unique blend of Saudi and Chinese educational experiences.

“From the start, we aimed to create a common ground between the students, school staff, and the Chinese teacher by forming a support team that includes an English teacher,” Al-Sari told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“We also educated the students on the importance of Saudi-China relations, which is a key goal of Vision 2030, and emphasized their role in showcasing Saudi cultural values."

One of the Chinese teachers joining schools in Jazan, was greeted with flowers, traditional Saudi coffee, and warm hospitality.

“I was thrilled to be welcomed by the students and the school staff. The reception was very warm and heartfelt, and I am grateful for the kindness I’ve experienced,” the teacher told Asharq Al-Awsat.

When asked about how Chinese teachers are chosen, the teacher revealed that they must first pass an exam, obtain a Chinese teaching certificate, and complete training abroad.

The Saudi Ministry of Education’s goal in bringing Chinese teachers to Saudi schools is to improve education through diverse teaching methods and cultural exchange.

This initiative aims to enhance students’ skills, promote better understanding between different cultures, and raise the overall quality of education.

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Titanic Expedition Yields Lost Bronze Statue, High-Resolution Photos and Other Discoveries

This image released on Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, shows the bow of the Titanic with a large section of the deck railing now missing photographed this summer by a company with salvage rights to the wreck site on its first expedition there in many years. (RMS Titanic Inc. via AP)
This image released on Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, shows the bow of the Titanic with a large section of the deck railing now missing photographed this summer by a company with salvage rights to the wreck site on its first expedition there in many years. (RMS Titanic Inc. via AP)
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Titanic Expedition Yields Lost Bronze Statue, High-Resolution Photos and Other Discoveries

This image released on Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, shows the bow of the Titanic with a large section of the deck railing now missing photographed this summer by a company with salvage rights to the wreck site on its first expedition there in many years. (RMS Titanic Inc. via AP)
This image released on Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, shows the bow of the Titanic with a large section of the deck railing now missing photographed this summer by a company with salvage rights to the wreck site on its first expedition there in many years. (RMS Titanic Inc. via AP)

A bronze statue from the Titanic — not seen in decades and feared to be lost for good — is among the discoveries made by the company with salvage rights to the wreck site on its first expedition there in many years.

RMS Titanic Inc., a Georgia-based company that holds the legal rights to the 112-year-old wreck, has completed its first trip since 2010 and released images from the expedition on Monday. The pictures show a site that continues to change more than a century later.

The trip to the remote corner of the North Atlantic Ocean where the Titanic sank happened as the US Coast Guard investigates the June 2023 implosion of the Titan, an experimental submersible owned by a different company. The Titan submersible disaster killed all five people on board, including Paul-Henri Nargeolet, who was director of underwater research for RMS Titanic.

The findings from this summer's trip “showcase a bittersweet mix of preservation and loss,” RMS Titanic said in a statement. A highlight was the rediscovery of the statue “Diana of Versaille,” last seen in 1986, and the statue now has a clear and updated image, the company said.

On a sadder note, a significant section of the railing that surrounds the ship bow's forecastle deck has fallen, RMS Titanic said. The railing still stood as recently as 2022, the company said.

“The discovery of the statue of Diana was an exciting moment. But we are saddened by the loss of the iconic Bow railing and other evidence of decay which has only strengthened our commitment to preserving Titanic’s legacy," said Tomasina Ray, director of collections for RMS Titanic.

The crew spent 20 days at the site and returned to Providence, Rhode Island, on Aug. 9. They captured more than 2 million of the highest resolution pictures of the site ever to exist, the company said.

The team also fully mapped the wreck and its debris field with equipment that should improve understanding of the site, RMS Titanic said. The next step is to process the data so it can be shared with the scientific community, and so “historically significant and at-risk artifacts can be identified for safe recovery in future expeditions,” the company said in a statement.

The company said prior to the expedition that it had an especially important mission in the wake of Nargeolet's death.

The Coast Guard's investigation will be the subject of a public hearing later in September.

Nargeolet's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Titan sub's operator OceanGate, which suspended operations after the implosion. OceanGate has not commented publicly on the lawsuit, which was filed in a Washington state court.