In a step that strengthens the global status of the Arabic language and supports the principles of learning flexibility and self-directed education, the College of Arts and Sciences at Qatar University (QU), represented by the Arabic for Non-Native Speakers Centre (ANNS), has launched a new free Arabic language course.The course is a part of the widely popular Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and is offered through the global “edX” open learning platform. This initiative coincided with the celebration of World Arabic Language Day on Dec 18. Dr Alaa Ibrahim, acting director of ANNS Centre at QU and one of the course instructors, affirmed that the new course aims to meet the growing demand from independent learners worldwide for learning Arabic in the digital space.The course has been designed according to the highest quality standards for this type of educational approach in collaboration with the QU Office for Digital Learning and Online Education to ensure a unique learning experience and an interactive digital environment that fosters language skills development.Dr Muntasir al-Hamad, associate professor at ANNS, pointed out that the course, which includes several contributions from students at the centre during its production, is expected to expand the base of Arabic learners and enhance the presence of Arabic as a global language capable of building bridges of cultural and civilisational communication.The “edX” platform provides easy access for students worldwide, along with educational materials designed to the highest academic quality standards. The first course previously launched in the field of teaching Arabic to non-native speakers achieved remarkable success, attracting more than 43,000 learners from all over the world and was ranked among the most popular online courses globally.