How Arab families in foreign countries keep children connected to Arabic

As the 2025 Arab Reading Challenge heads towards its grand finale, the qualifying round for the Community Champions category has highlighted the remarkable efforts of Arab families living in non-Arab countries to keep their children connected to their mother tongue. 

Students from across the globe are competing for the coveted title, showcasing not only their reading skills but also their deep-seated passion for the Arabic language and cultural heritage.

The Community Champion category, a key component of the Arab Reading Challenge, provides a platform for Arab students in the diaspora to engage with their cultural roots. 

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The finalists, who have successfully navigated the initial stages of the ninth edition of the competition, are now being evaluated by a specialised panel. 

The winner of this category will receive a prize of Dh100,000, with second and third place winners receiving Dh70,000 and Dh30,000 respectively.

For many of these young participants, the journey to the finals has been one of dedication and a conscious effort to maintain their linguistic and cultural identity. 

Taqa Abdel Khaleq, a 16-year-old representing Australia, is a testament to this commitment. “I didn’t want to neglect the Arabic language,” she said. “I wanted to tell the world that it is time for the Arabic language to be revived from neglect.”

Taqa began reading at the age of seven, though she admits her early years involved more listening than reading. “I listened more than I read, but things developed with me and my small library in Australia developed with it,” she explained. 

Her mother played a crucial role in ensuring Arabic remained a constant presence in her life. “She tried as much as possible to include the Arabic language in my life, whether at home or with my friends,” Taqa recalled.

Arabic cartoons and television series also proved instrumental in her language development. 

For the challenge, she read 25 books, though her total reading extends to 50 or 60 books. Beyond the potential prize, Taqa values the experience itself. “Even if I don’t win, I think it’s a wonderful experience and I learned a lot from it,” she said, noting that the challenge taught her time management as she balanced reading with work and studies.

This sentiment is echoed by Jihan Mohammed Murad, an 18-year-old university student from Italy who has lived in the country for five or six years. 

Having read over 500 books, she credits her father for instilling a love for reading in her from a young age. “I was always curious when I saw the books lined up on this big shelf and I always wanted to know what information was inside them,” she said. “My father is the inspiration for me in every step of my life, although my mother is the hidden soldier behind (him).”

Jihan’s reading journey also was built in Saudi Arabia, where she lived until the sixth grade. “They encouraged us a lot to read. I used to present at many conferences and I loved reading from there, especially poetic recitation and chanting,” she explained. 

Moving to Italy presented a significant challenge, as she had to adapt to studying in Italian while maintaining her Arabic proficiency.

For Jihan, maintaining her Arabic connection in a non-Arab environment required a proactive approach. “Frankly, the challenge was difficult, but having an incubator has an essential role,” she explained. “You may find friends at school who speak Arabic but are ashamed to use it because the dominant language is foreign. When you form friendships with them and create a small community in Western countries, you share your culture and discuss your authentic Arab ideas so that the Arabic language is also established.”

Her father consistently took her to places where Arabs gather, including community centres and mosques. 

She also participates in an Arab youth forum where ideas from books are discussed and translated into Italian. “We tell the Arabs that there is knowledge in Italy, come and learn, and we also tell the Italians that we Arabs are not an ignorant nation living in the desert as they say,” she stated.

Her advice to Arabs in other countries is clear. “Continue and find an incubator for yourselves and be a community, even if it is one or two friends with ideas, and do not be embarrassed to speak and do not be embarrassed at all, because it is your language, it represents your cause and your principles.”

Razan Hassan Al-Masri, a 16-year-old in Grade 11 representing the United States, shares a similar story of dedication. 

Of Syrian origin, she learned Arabic during kindergarten in Jordan before moving to the US at age seven. “But I did not stop learning Arabic even when I was in the United States,” she emphasised.

Her parents, she explained, have been her primary motivation. Razan continues to take Arabic lessons every Sunday to ensure she doesn’t forget her mother tongue. “It is the language of the Quran first, and then your language, and the most beautiful poems and verses are written in it,” she noted.

When asked about the challenges of maintaining Arabic in a non-Arab environment, Razan was candid. “If you are not in an Arab country, the difficulties are that the community around you does not speak Arabic. They speak the language of the country you live in or speak English at school,” she said. “But it depends on the family and the environment you live in. If you are in an environment that preserves the Arabic language and religion in general, you will most likely be a conservative and try to learn more in the Arabic language.”

She emphasised the importance of family and community support. “The environment I live in is an environment that speaks Arabic. My family speaks Arabic and I try to read and learn more about my language,” she added.

A UAE perspective on language preservation

While the Community Champions category focuses on diaspora students, the broader challenge also includes participants from Arab countries. 

Reem Adel Al Zarouni, a 13-year-old from Abu Dhabi who represents the UAE, offers valuable insights into maintaining Arabic pride even in multilingual environments.

Reem’s passion for Arabic began at age three, when she first learned letters and started reading. “my father is the one who planted the love of reading and my mother nurtured it,” she explained. 

Her father encouraged her to read business and scientific books to build a strong cultural background, while her mother consistently supported her reading choices and followed up on her progress.

On the topic of children speaking more English than Arabic, Reem offered thoughtful advice. “The English language is important, but at the same time, we can sail in cultures but on the shores, so that we return to the beach to the Arabic language. My advice is to always remain committed to the mother tongue. We speak English when needed, but the Arabic language must be the language of emotion, the basic language in our world. The Arabic language has a special rhythm.”

Dr. Fawzan Al Khaledi, Director of Programs and Projects at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives, emphasised the inclusive and expanding nature of the challenge. “The initiative aims to promote reading in Arabic among students and make it a daily habit in their lives.”

The challenge requires students to read and summarize 50 books during the academic year outside their school curriculum. 

In a significant development, the Arab League invited ministers of education in Arab countries to adopt the Arab Reading Challenge as part of the Arabic language curriculum. This decision was issued on December 18, 2024, coinciding with Arabic Language Day.

“We target Arab countries plus Arab students who speak Arabic and non-Arabic speakers who live in foreign countries,” Dr. Al Khaledi explained. 

The initiative has seen remarkable growth since its inception. “We started with students in the Arab world, then we expanded the initiative and added a new category, the category of People of Determination. This category did not exist since the launch of the initiative, and we also added the Arabs who live in non-Arab countries category.”

The numbers speak to the initiative’s success. “From 2015, when the initiative was first launched with the participation of 3.5 million participants, today we have 32 million participants. There is great demand, and this indicates the cooperation between the institution and the ministries of education,” he noted.

Khadija Al Hoosani, an international judge for the Arab Reading Challenge, explained what the panel seeks in participants. “We do not want a student who memorises something and gives us this information. We want a distinguished student leader who stands with confidence,” she said. “We want this student who is proud of his language and culture, the distinguished student who follows the thought of the owner of this initiative, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.”

The final qualifying round will determine which students advance to the grand ceremony, where Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, will crown the winners on October 23. 

Ruqayya Al Qaydi

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Ruqayya Alqaydi is a Special Correspondent with an endless curiosity to learn. Like a journalist on a caffeine overdrive, she is fuelled by passion and on a mission to uncover every gem in the UAE.