The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), part of the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), has launched the ‘Summer in Arabic’ initiative for the first time from July through August 2025.

The initiative targets children and youth aged 8 to 17, offering a range of interactive and creative activities that celebrate the beauty of the Arabic language in a contemporary format, designed to resonate with the aspirations of the younger generation.

‘Summer in Arabic’ initiative for the first time from July through August 2025.

reflects the ALC’s ongoing efforts to position Arabic as a vibrant, living language of creativity and knowledge through interactive learning experiences that help develop young people’s language and expression skills, strengthening their connection to their cultural identity, in line with the UAE’s vision to foster creativity, empower the youth, and reinforce community and national values.

Participants will enjoy a diverse calendar of interactive and creative events, including ‘Karaoke in Arabic’, organised in collaboration with the Anghami platform on 10 and 17 July at Manarat Al Saadiyat. This innovative cultural and entertainment experience aims to revive the beauty of Arabic through vocal performances, enabling participants aged 10 to 17 to improve their pronunciation, rhythm, and confidence. With their engaging, interactive style, the sessions allow participants to choose songs from a curated playlist featuring a range of Arabic musical styles.

Moreover, the initiative includes a series of workshops designed to enhance children’s writing and linguistic expression, set to be held in the Children’s Library at the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation. These include the ‘Write to Me’ workshop on 19 July, which focuses on creating Arabic alternatives to commonly used abbreviations in other languages, such as “ASAP” or “LOL”, among others. The workshop encourages modern linguistic awareness and reinforces the importance of cultural identity in everyday communication.

Another session titled ‘Arabic Letters’, will be held on 20 July, inviting children aged 10 to 15 to write letters of appreciation to influential figures in their lives.

Furthermore, and as part of efforts to creatively revive Arabic folk proverbs in Modern Standard Arabic (Fus’ha), a workshop titled ‘Our Arabic Talk’ will take place on 16 August, inviting participants aged 10 to 15 to transform popular proverbs from various dialects into Standard Arabic in a creative, engaging, and interactive format.

The Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation will also host a series of reading sessions for children aged 9 to 12 throughout July and August, led by children’s literature author and trainer Haya Al Qassim. The sessions feature readings from select titles off the Kalima publications list, including ‘Bloom and the Giant’s Feast’, ‘My Grandmother the Queen’, and ‘The Thunder Boot’, accompanied by interactive activities in creative writing, critical thinking, and crafts to encourage the imaginative use of language and enhance creative skills.

Additionally, the initiative features an introductory session about the ‘Arabic Pals’ competition, which will take place at Al Wathba Library on 24 July. Aimed at children and youth aged 8 to 17, the session introduces participants to the competition’s process and encourages them to engage with Arabic through year-round cultural and knowledge-based challenges.

The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre is working to maximise the activities’ reach and engagement, and to that end, is launching a comprehensive communications campaign across social media platforms, spotlighting interactive content and participant stories, and offering continuous coverage of the events. Prominent influencers, such as Ahmad Kiswani, Mohammed Al Kindi, Bessan Ismail, and Afra Al Satti will take part in promoting the initiative.

The ‘Summer in Arabic’ initiative for the first time from July through August 2025.’ programme reflects the ALC’s commitment to implementing sustainable initiatives that deepen the connection between younger generations and the Arabic language, strengthening their connection to the UAE’s cultural identity, in alignment with the country’s broader national framework. The initiative contributes to building character and empowering a linguistically capable, creative generation, which, in turn, supports the country’s aspirations for cultural and intellectual leadership at the regional and international levels.