King Abdulaziz Library events on World Arabic Language Day 2025
The King Abdulaziz Public Library in Riyadh launched a diverse program of cultural and artistic events to celebrate World Arabic Language Day, which falls on December 18th each year. This cultural initiative underscores the library's leading role in promoting Arab and Islamic identity and highlighting the beauty of the Arabic language and its ability to adapt to modern changes.
Global context and international celebration
Celebrating World Arabic Language Day holds special significance, as it dates back to United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3190 of 1973, which added Arabic to the list of official and working languages of the United Nations. Arabic is a cornerstone of humanity's cultural diversity and one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, with hundreds of millions of speakers, making its preservation and the development of its tools a pressing civilizational imperative.
Symposium on the Future of the Arabic Language and Innovation
As part of its activities, the library held a cultural event on Tuesday evening, December 16, entitled: “The Future of the Arabic Language in Knowledge Spaces: Fostering Linguistic Innovation,” in strategic partnership with the King Salman Global Academy for the Arabic Language. The event was moderated by Engineer Tariq Bamsaq, with the participation of a select group of academics and specialists: Dr. Ali bin Mohammed Al-Amri, Dr. Noura bint Ibrahim Al-Khalaf, and Dr. Raida bint Hassan Al-Maliki.
The participants discussed vital topics including modern language policies to enhance the status of Arabic, language education mechanisms between innovation and digital transformation, in addition to the role of language academies in developing a language that interacts flexibly with the developments of the times, and the active presence of Arabic in the digital space and artificial intelligence technologies.
Pulse of Letters Exhibition: Where Art and Language Meet
On the evening of Thursday, December 18, 2025, the library's general supervisor inaugurated the "Pulse of Letters" exhibition, in collaboration with the Saudi Society for Fine Arts (JASFT). The opening was attended by prominent artists as guests of honor, including calligrapher Nasser Al-Maimoun, calligrapher Mohammed Al-Ajlan, and visual artist Nasser Al-Mousa.
The exhibition continues until Saturday evening, December 20, featuring a distinguished collection of paintings that highlight the aesthetics of Arabic calligraphy and its diverse schools, in addition to calligraphic paintings that have transformed the Arabic letter into a visual icon with deep connotations, reflecting the visual richness of the Arabic language.
Strengthening identity among young people
Recognizing the importance of instilling a love of language in future generations, the library's Childhood Sector celebrated this occasion through the Children's Book Club, offering special gifts to subscribers during the period from December 16 to 25, 2025. The initiative included discounted packages for ages 2 to 15 (Discovery, Imagination, Leadership, Innovation) to enhance the relationship between the child and the book.
Mobile learning resource buses also visited the children of the (Insan) Association at Al-Waha Park in Riyadh, in a step aimed at promoting social responsibility and delivering knowledge to all segments of society, which contributes to achieving the goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 in building a vibrant society that is proud of its identity and language.
