The Unesco Regional Office for the Gulf States and Yemen organised a cultural event on the Arabic language at the UN House in Doha. Themed as forging communication between the Arab region and the world, especially Latin American countries through the Arabic language, the event was organised in partnership with the Ministry of Culture, the Qatar National Commission for Education, Culture and Science and Green Zone Foundation (GZF) to mark World Arabic Language Day, which annually falls on Dec 18 and continues for many weeks.The event highlighted numerous contributions of the Arabic language to human cultural and linguistic diversity. It discussed the significance of the Arabic language as an essential source for forging rapprochement with Latin American nations and peoples. In his opening remarks, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) Representative for the Gulf States and Yemen and Director of the Unesco Regional Office in Doha, Salah El Din Zaki Khaled, said marking this day which coincides with the 51st anniversary of the Arabic language as one of the official languages of the UN, comes owing to the fact that it is the official language in nearly 25 nations and one of the most consequential pillars of human cultural diversity, as well as the language of Arab and Islamic civilisations.He emphasised that the Arabic language is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, pointing out that celebrating this day is an opportunity to create a platform for conversation and shared understanding. He stated that there is a commitment to fusing various voices and strengthening cultural ties in close collaboration with partners.In his closing remarks, Salah El Din Zaki Khaled underscored that marking this day represents an invitation to echo the instrumental role of the Arabic language in connecting people through culture, science and literature, et al, in addition to highlighting the historic role of Arabic language in promoting knowledge, dialogue and peace, as a core part of QNCECS's keenness to reinforce cultural diversity, in general, and Arabic language in particular.Cultural advisor at the Ministry of Culture, Jamal Fayez, emphasised that the Arabic language with its powerful charm is a primary vehicle for forging communication, as long as it is the language of the Holy Qur'an, as well as sciences and discoveries upon which numerous civilisations in the Arab and Islamic regions were built whose beacons illuminated remote geographical territories.The event theme signified the attendance of representatives of Latin American and Caribbean countries, as these nations have been historically and emotionally connected to the Arabic language through Arab migrations in various historical periods, highlighted Fayez.He emphasised that the Ministry of Culture is vested with the responsibility of paying attention to the Arabic language and promoting its stature through different bodies operating as an integrated system to hold diverse outstanding initiatives and programs in the areas of eloquence, literature, poetry, and Arabic calligraphy.Dean of the Latin American and Caribbean Ambassadors and ambassador of Haiti to Qatar, Jean-Marie Francois Junior Guillaume, said that there is a significant percentage of Arab people in Latin America. However, the third and fourth generations have lost the language, with only a small percentage of them still speaking Arabic.He hailed the initiatives that aim to teach them their mother tongue, welcoming the GZF's initiative for teaching the Arabic language. Maha al-Shibani from GZF pointed out that, considering the accelerating global developments and challenges facing the Arabic language, GZF was entrusted with taking serious steps toward disseminating the Arabic language and promoting its teaching to meet the epochal requirements.She highlighted that GZF took the first step to promote the Arabic language in numerous Latin American countries in co-ordination with professional universities and centers by upgrading innovative technologies to support teachers and scholars. (QNA)