When Luo Zi Wei was deciding what language to study, Spanish was the most popular language course at her university and Arabic the least popular.
But the week before she made her decision the Arabic lecturer gave a passionate speech listing the benefits of learning the language: good job prospects and the challenge of studying the hardest language in the world. Luo was persuaded.
That was five years ago. Now she is part of a growing number of young Chinese who are choosing Arabic as the foreign language to study at university. According to Lin Feng Min, the director of the Arabic department at Peking University's language school, they have had to print 20 per cent more national test papers in the last three years, indicating a commensurate rise in the number studying Arabic.
Ms Luo, 24, graduated in Arabic literature from Sun Yat-sen University, in Guangdong Province in 2016. She says the semester she spent in Jordan was revealing. "It's not so conservative. Teachers and Jordanians were open minded. Many Muslim women chose not to wear the hijab." However the Jordanians she met knew little about China.
So why study Arabic? Lin Feng Min says most students choose to study the language because they feel it leads to better career opportunities, while others are interested in Arabic culture. A minority are also Chinese Muslims who wish to learn more about Islamic culture and traditions.
For Han Yiying, 20, a current third-year student at Peking University, it was Arabic music that inspired her to learn the language. "Its grammar and some pronunciation of some letters are totally different from Chinese or English so I found it hard to begin learning Arabic, but it got easier after I got used to the grammar," she said. She hopes to work in the ministry of foreign affairs.
Fang Ting, 30, works for the Red Cross in Beijing and studied Arabic for a year in Yemen in 2014. He says it took him three months to learn how to produce the distinctive "glottal trembling" required for Arabic — and then he hit another obstacle.
"I learnt standard Arabic but when you go on the street people speak dialect. This is a problem when there is limited dialectal teaching or materials," he said.
Read more: Exclusive: Duolingo launches Arabic for English speakers
Mr Lin agrees that coping with all the various Arabic dialects is "really a big problem." In an attempt to tackle it, the Arabic department at Peking University introduced a Cairo dialect module.
Zhang Bo, 32, a news anchor for CGTN Arabic, a TV station, says the opportunities for Arabic speakers in China have increased since he graduated in 2007, not least with more international media catering to Arabic-speaking audiences. He almost dropped Arabic when he was at Beijing International Studies University because the language was so difficult, but he is glad he stuck it out.
"The process of learning Arabic in college helped me gain a capability in overcoming any difficulty in life. If I could conquer this language, to some extent I could achieve anything", he says.
Many Chinese students of Arabic base themselves in Cairo. Duan Jiuzhou is a PhD student from Tsinghua University, and a visiting scholar at the American University in Cairo says the historical relationship between Egypt and China, — the first Chinese students arrived in the 1930s — accounts for its enduring legacy as a centre of Arabic scholarship for the Chinese.
Mr Zhang sees the One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative, which will cross many Arabic-speaking countries, as offering big opportunities. And in his line of work, the region is a hot spot for news.
However, Luo Zi Wei, says those new opportunities have not materialised yet and when they do, female graduates face discrimination when applying for Arabic-related jobs as companies usually prefer to hire men, especially for overseas. "The boys in my class were not so good but six of them found Arabic jobs, and three of them were sent abroad," she says.
Mr Fang Ting also believes the "not very open" labour market in Arabic-speaking countries means investing time and effort in learning Arabic could be a risk, and wishes Middle Eastern countries would offer courses to attract foreigners who are interested in learning about Arabic culture and language.
Mr Lin Feng Min is worried about the future, however. Although the number of Arabic courses — and the number of students taking them — has increased, the number of teachers has not and many are young and inexperienced.
"Teaching quality is declining", he says. But Mr Duan is still hopeful and wants to become a professor of Arabic.
"It is exotic and widely-spoken." he says. "I love it."
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates, Etihad and Swiss fly direct from the UAE to Zurich from Dh2,855 return, including taxes.
The chalet
Chalet N is currently open in winter only, between now and April 21. During the ski season, starting on December 11, a week’s rental costs from €210,000 (Dh898,431) per week for the whole property, which has 22 beds in total, across six suites, three double rooms and a children’s suite. The price includes all scheduled meals, a week’s ski pass, Wi-Fi, parking, transfers between Munich, Innsbruck or Zurich airports and one 50-minute massage per person. Private ski lessons cost from €360 (Dh1,541) per day. Halal food is available on request.
Short-term let permits explained
Homeowners and tenants are allowed to list their properties for rental by registering through the Dubai Tourism website to obtain a permit.
Tenants also require a letter of no objection from their landlord before being allowed to list the property.
There is a cost of Dh1,590 before starting the process, with an additional licence fee of Dh300 per bedroom being rented in your home for the duration of the rental, which ranges from three months to a year.
Anyone hoping to list a property for rental must also provide a copy of their title deeds and Ejari, as well as their Emirates ID.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: 2019 BMW i8 Roadster
Price, base: Dh708,750
Engine: 1.5L three-cylinder petrol, plus 11.6 kWh lithium-ion battery
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 374hp (total)
Torque: 570Nm (total)
Fuel economy, combined: 2.0L / 100km
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
World%20Food%20Day%20
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Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
The biog
Age: 59
From: Giza Governorate, Egypt
Family: A daughter, two sons and wife
Favourite tree: Ghaf
Runner up favourite tree: Frankincense
Favourite place on Sir Bani Yas Island: “I love all of Sir Bani Yas. Every spot of Sir Bani Yas, I love it.”
8 UAE companies helping families reduce their carbon footprint
Greenheart Organic Farms
This Dubai company was one of the country’s first organic farms, set up in 2012, and it now delivers a wide array of fruits and vegetables grown regionally or in the UAE, as well as other grocery items, to both Dubai and Abu Dhabi doorsteps.
www.greenheartuae.com
Modibodi
Founded in Australia, Modibodi is now in the UAE with waste-free, reusable underwear that eliminates the litter created by a woman’s monthly cycle, which adds up to approximately 136kgs of sanitary waste over a lifetime.
www.modibodi.ae
The Good Karma Co
From brushes made of plant fibres to eco-friendly storage solutions, this company has planet-friendly alternatives to almost everything we need, including tin foil and toothbrushes.
www.instagram.com/thegoodkarmaco
Re:told
One Dubai boutique, Re:told, is taking second-hand garments and selling them on at a fraction of the price, helping to cut back on the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of clothes thrown into landfills each year.
www.shopretold.com
Lush
Lush provides products such as shampoo and conditioner as package-free bars with reusable tins to store.
www.mena.lush.com
Bubble Bro
Offering filtered, still and sparkling water on tap, Bubble Bro is attempting to ensure we don’t produce plastic or glass waste. Founded in 2017 by Adel Abu-Aysha, the company is on track to exceeding its target of saving one million bottles by the end of the year.
www.bubble-bro.com
Coethical
This company offers refillable, eco-friendly home cleaning and hygiene products that are all biodegradable, free of chemicals and certifiably not tested on animals.
www.instagram.com/coethical
Eggs & Soldiers
This bricks-and-mortar shop and e-store, founded by a Dubai mum-of-four, is the place to go for all manner of family products – from reusable cloth diapers to organic skincare and sustainable toys.
www.eggsnsoldiers.com
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
MATCH INFO
Mainz 0
RB Leipzig 5 (Werner 11', 48', 75', Poulsen 23', Sabitzer 36')
Man of the Match: Timo Werner (RB Leipzig)
Disability on screen
Empire — neuromuscular disease myasthenia gravis; bipolar disorder; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Rosewood and Transparent — heart issues
24: Legacy — PTSD;
Superstore and NCIS: New Orleans — wheelchair-bound
Taken and This Is Us — cancer
Trial & Error — cognitive disorder prosopagnosia (facial blindness and dyslexia)
Grey’s Anatomy — prosthetic leg
Scorpion — obsessive compulsive disorder and anxiety
Switched at Birth — deafness
One Mississippi, Wentworth and Transparent — double mastectomy
Dragons — double amputee
Profile of MoneyFellows
Founder: Ahmed Wadi
Launched: 2016
Employees: 76
Financing stage: Series A ($4 million)
Investors: Partech, Sawari Ventures, 500 Startups, Dubai Angel Investors, Phoenician Fund
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).
'Midnights'
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The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
