In the presence of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, a panel discussion titled ‘The Sun of Arab Culture’, on the first day of the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) on Wednesday, October 31.

His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Al Qasimi said that while in the past the Arabic language suffered from some neglect, in recent years steps has been taken to rectify this.

“The next thing to do is to communicate with the ministries of culture and education authorities to elevate the Arabic language in schools and universities. We hope this movement to protect the Arabic language continues – and we are working hard to achieve this.” His Highness remarked.

Featuring in the book fair’s Cultural Programme, the session explored the challenges facing languages in general, questioning the survival of Arabic in an increasingly technology-driven, data-filled world.