Arabic Language Day

World Arabic Language Day (WALD), also known as the UN Arabic Language Day is observed annually on December 18. First established by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2010, the day celebrates the Arabic language and promotes cultural diversity.

Celebrate World Arabic Language Day

WALD is celebrated all around the world as a means to promote cultural understanding and encourage dialogue among people who speak different languages. Organizations and governments hold cultural events that showcase the history and richness of the language. Seminars and conferences highlight the current developments in Arabic literature through lectures, talks and workshops by Arabic writers and poets.

Schools promote the education of Arabic as a medium of communication and organize short story and poetry competitions.

Public Life

World Arabic Language Day is not an official holiday and businesses, schools and government offices are open on this day.

About World Arabic Language Day

Arabic is a language with a rich history and is spoken by almost 1.5 billion people around the world and in UNESCO’s 22 member states. WALD recognizes this and acknowledges the contribution of the language in fostering ties between different cultures and in the development of science, medicine, mathematics and literature through the ages.

The date for WALD signifies the day in 1973 when Arabic became the sixth official language of the UN. The other official languages of the UN are French, English, Russian, Spanish and Chinese.

While we diligently research and update our holiday dates, some of the information in the table above may be preliminary. If you find an error, please let us know.