In an effort to expand its international network of partnerships and enhance the global presence of the Arabic language, a delegation from the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), led by His Excellency Dr Ali bin Tamim, the ALC’s Chairman, paid an official visit to the Republic of North Macedonia.
The visit aimed to explore opportunities for academic and cultural cooperation and to discuss strategies for building sustainable partnerships with educational and cultural institutions. It formed part of the ALC’s preparations for the upcoming Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF), scheduled to take place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) from 13 to 18 September 2026, highlighting the region’s rich cultural, linguistic, literary, and artistic diversity.
The visit also sought to strengthen cooperation with academic, cultural, and heritage institutions in North Macedonia, in addition to highlighting opportunities for publishing houses, museums, national libraries, and cultural establishments in the country to take part in the fair’s activities. Other objectives also included supporting Arabic language instruction in North Macedonian universities, encouraging translation and publishing efforts, cooperating to preserve and digitise documented heritage, and enhancing mutual cultural and knowledge exchange.
The delegation began its activities with a visit to the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, where H.E. Dr Ali bin Tamim met with Prof. Vladimir Martinovski, Dean of the Faculty of Philology. They discussed opportunities for enhancing academic cooperation between the University and the ALC, developing academic exchange programmes, and establishing an academic track for teaching Arabic at the University. The discussions also explored the possibility of collaborating on compiling and publishing Macedonian-Arabic dictionaries, which would support linguistic studies and cultural connections between the two countries.
H.E. bin Tamim also met with Marija Gjorgova, State Secretary at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of North Macedonia, and discussed ways to enhance cultural cooperation, encourage North Macedonian publishing houses to participate in the ADIBF 2026, and showcase the culture of the Balkan region in the fair’s Cultural Programme. They also considered means to support North Macedonian museums and cultural institutions to participate in the fair’s activities, enhance the exchange of translation and publishing rights, and expand the participation of North Macedonian cultural institutions in the Arabian Days Festival.
Seeking to explore North Macedonia’s cultural heritage, the delegation visited the Archaeological Museum of the Republic of North Macedonia in Skopje, where they met with the Museum’s Director Magdalena Manaskova. The Museum is one of the country’s most prominent cultural landmarks, housing over 6,000 artefacts documenting the region’s history from prehistoric times, through the classical and medieval periods, and up to the modern era. The delegation also discussed potential collaboration in joint publishing and showcasing the Museum’s publications and specialised literature at the ADIBF, which would contribute to promoting North Macedonia’s rich cultural heritage.
The ALC delegation also visited the St. Clement of Ohrid National and University Library, where they met with Jovica Nikčevski, Director of the Library, and discussed ways to cooperate in preserving and providing access to documentary heritage for researchers. During the visit, the delegation browsed the Library's collection of around 2,000 Arabic manuscripts, which represent a scientific and cultural legacy that indicate profound historic ties.
The two sides discussed the possibility of exhibiting selections from these manuscripts at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair 2026, and explored opportunities for cooperation in digitising Arabic manuscripts, launching joint projects to preserve this heritage and make it accessible to researchers, and enhancing cultural and intellectual exchange between the two countries.
In terms of academic cooperation, the delegation met with Borcho Aleksov, Higher Education Advisor at the Ministry of Education and Science in the Republic of North Macedonia, and discussed methods for supporting Arabic language instruction in North Macedonian universities, establishing specialised academic programmes, and accrediting Arabic language programmes in higher education institutions. They also discussed curriculum development, teaching staff training, and expanding academic exchange programmes to enhance the presence of the Arabic language in the North Macedonian university ecosystem.
