Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi is a writer and researcher, and the founder of Barjeel Art Foundation
July 13, 2022
You hear it everywhere. In malls and hospitals. In kindergartens and universities. And now increasingly in majlises and other Emirati gatherings. English has become the unofficial official language of the UAE. Its prevalence and even ubiquity is undeniable. For some people this strengthening of a foreign language is a sign of progress, for others it is a sign that we have not adequately adapted the Arabic language into the 21st century. Can we not globalise and modernise without losing our language?
In the run-up to the UN’s formation after the Second World War, Arabic was adopted as one of the five official languages of the global body. Today, however, Arabic is neglected by many of its own speakers. Ask some Arabic speakers in the UAE to attempt to converse for a few minutes in their mother tongue and no doubt after a sentence or two many will switch into English. The usual excuse I receive when I mention this is that there are certain "technical words" for which there is no equivalent in Arabic.
"How do you say computer in Arabic?" I am told. (Easy, it's hasoob aali, by the way.) The truth is that for many of our youth Arabic has lost its appeal. Some young people may even be ashamed to speak Arabic in front of others lest they seem less educated than their peers.
I blame my generation and myself. A few weeks ago, I hosted a dinner for a famous Arab musician and we agreed among ourselves that we would only converse in Arabic. It worked. However, it was the exception that proved one rule: that in gatherings, English – with a sprinkling of Arabic words and phrases – is the language many of us exclusively speak today.
The neglect towards Arabic is widespread
A couple of decades ago, it was the case that children who were products of mixed marriages weren't able to speak in Arabic. Today, many households made up of an Emirati mother and father speak English among themselves and their children. "It's easier you see, for the kids, to know one language" is what I often hear.
Arabs have been aware of the rise of influence from the West since the days of colonialism. It impacted our own language and many of us learnt foreign languages out of necessity. The "Arab Awakening" of the late 19th century began in the Levant, among the Christian community in Syria and Lebanon specifically, before spreading to other parts of the Arab world, as Adeed Dawisha writes in Arab Nationalism in the Twentieth Century.
Furthermore, as Pakistani scholar MA Aziz notes: "The publication of an Arabic dictionary in 1867 and of an Arabic encyclopaedia in 1870, the founding of newspapers in Arabic and the general growth of contemporary Arabic literature marked a new awakening among the Arabs.”
This "awakening" resulted in the 1919 founding of the Arabic Language Academy of Damascus, whose goals include the preservation and enhancement of Arabic partly through the founding of new terms. Over the decades, the Arabic Language Academy of Damascus introduced new words and adaptations of existing words to fit the modern era. For instance, the Arabic word “ehtimam” was introduced to denote interest in something while the word “shakhsiya” was introduced to denote personality. Such words were not in use before then and have since become standard in Arabic.
Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, has called for a concerted effort to preserve Arabic. Sharjah Government Media Bureau
The rate of success in adaptation of new words varies. The word “hatef” (phone) is more used than “al shabaka” (the internet) although Arabic speakers still default to their English language equivalents. Some blame the Arabic Language Academy of Damascus for taking too long to translate words or for suggesting more than one term as they have for the internet. This lack of attention to the terms suggested by the academy is also the result of the political situation in the Arab world, in which Damascus, along with other traditional Arab centres of culture, no longer holds the influence it once had over the region. Moreover, and perhaps reflecting the state of the Arab world, there are today various versions of the academy in Jordan, Iraq, Sudan, Morocco, Libya, Algeria and the UAE.
This neglect towards Arabic is widespread. It can be seen across the GCC, the Levant and even in Egypt, traditionally the bastion of the language. With each passing year, the crisis of Arabic is only growing. A 2009 study spanning 214 students from across the Arab world conducted by Fatiha Hanani for the American University of Sharjah titled "Impact of English on Young Arabs' Use in the UAE" found that "Arabic was gradually being replaced" by English and that students have "a clear negative attitude towards speaking and learning Arabic”.
It is not only the youth but also politicians, public intellectuals and other prominent figures who increasingly converse in English. This matter needs to be looked at urgently. An added emphasis must be put on education, public speaking, publishing and broadcasting in Arabic. Steps from the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre including their Arabic Lexicon takes advantage of the digital sphere which means that it is accessible to a wider audience. Perhaps this can be expanded to a terminology crowd-sourcing initiative. The recent call by Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, to preserve Arabic, calling it "a stockpile of our history, our knowledge and our culture", is a timely reminder that we need to act urgently and forcefully, starting with our own selves.
What is Financial Fair Play?
Introduced in 2011 by Uefa, European football’s governing body, it demands that clubs live within their means. Chiefly, spend within their income and not make substantial losses.
What the rules dictate?
The second phase of its implementation limits losses to €30 million (Dh136m) over three seasons. Extra expenditure is permitted for investment in sustainable areas (youth academies, stadium development, etc). Money provided by owners is not viewed as income. Revenue from “related parties” to those owners is assessed by Uefa's “financial control body” to be sure it is a fair value, or in line with market prices.
What are the penalties?
There are a number of punishments, including fines, a loss of prize money or having to reduce squad size for European competition – as happened to PSG in 2014. There is even the threat of a competition ban, which could in theory lead to PSG’s suspension from the Uefa Champions League.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Leganes v Getafe (12am)
Levante v Alaves (4pm)
Real Madrid v Sevilla (7pm)
Osasuna v Valladolid (9.30pm)
Sunday
Eibar v Atletico Madrid (12am)
Mallorca v Valencia (3pm)
Real Betis v Real Sociedad (5pm)
Villarreal v Espanyol (7pm)
Athletic Bilbao v Celta Vigo (9.30pm)
Monday
Barcelona v Granada (12am)
Match info
Athletic Bilbao 0
Real Madrid 1 (Ramos 73' pen)
The Florida Project
Director: Sean Baker
Starring: Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince, Willem Dafoe
Four stars
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Bournemouth 1 Manchester City 2
Watford 0 Brighton and Hove Albion 0
Newcastle United 3 West Ham United 0
Huddersfield Town 0 Southampton 0
Crystal Palace 0 Swansea City 2
Manchester United 2 Leicester City 0
West Bromwich Albion 1 Stoke City 1
Chelsea 2 Everton 0
Tottenham Hotspur 1 Burnley 1
Liverpool 4 Arsenal 0
Tips for job-seekers
Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
All matches in Bulawayo Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
Weather warnings show that Storm Eunice is soon to make landfall. The videographer and I are scrambling to return to the other side of the Channel before it does. As we race to the port of Calais, I see miles of wire fencing topped with barbed wire all around it, a silent ‘Keep Out’ sign for those who, unlike us, aren’t lucky enough to have the right to move freely and safely across borders.
We set sail on a giant ferry whose length dwarfs the dinghies migrants use by nearly a 100 times. Despite the windy rain lashing at the portholes, we arrive safely in Dover; grateful but acutely aware of the miserable conditions the people we’ve left behind are in and of the privilege of choice.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023 More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Fixtures and results:
Wed, Aug 29:
Malaysia bt Hong Kong by 3 wickets
Oman bt Nepal by 7 wickets
UAE bt Singapore by 215 runs
Thu, Aug 30:
UAE bt Nepal by 78 runs
Hong Kong bt Singapore by 5 wickets
Oman bt Malaysia by 2 wickets
Sat, Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong; Oman v Singapore; Malaysia v Nepal
Sun, Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman; Malaysia v UAE; Nepal v Singapore
Tue, Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore; UAE v Oman; Nepal v Hong Kong
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
The specs: 2017 Porsche 718 Cayman
Price, base / as tested Dh222,500 / Dh296,870
Engine 2.0L, flat four-cylinder
Transmission Seven-speed PDK
Power 300hp @ 6,500rpm
Torque 380hp @ 1,950rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.9L / 100km
MATCH INFO
What: Brazil v South Korea When: Tonight, 5.30pm Where: Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi Tickets:www.ticketmaster.ae
