The 2nd edition of the Asian Arabic Debating Championship kicked off on Sunday in the Sultanate of Oman with the attendance of over 320 participants from 18 states, including Qatar.
The event will run until Feb 2, 2023, with the participation of Qatar, Australia, Azerbaijan, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Pakistan, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam and Yemen.
The championship aims to propagate the culture of dialogue and debate among youth, in addition to developing the educational activities at the local, regional and international levels for the group targeted by the championship, as well as opening communication channels among university students from various Asian countries through dialogue and debate fields on a range of general issues.
Director General of Directorate of Youth in the Ministry of Culture and Vice Chairperson of the Main Committee of the championship Hilal bin Saif al Siyabi said that the championship attracts an elite of young people who realises the criticality of dialogue and knowledge research.
Director of Programmes and Projects in Qatar Debate Centre Abdulrahman bin Ibrahim Al Subaie said that 42 teams are participating in this edition of the championship, compared to 26 in the first. Participating teams represent 18 countries - Australia, Azerbaijan, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam and Yemen, besides Oman.
The championship will involve 75 referees and 50 young Omani volunteers helping conduct it.