- The Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Foundation and ICESCO inaugurated the International Linguistic Training Program at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University to strengthen Arabic-language teaching in Central Asia.
- The four-day course (Nov 11-14, 2025) aims to modernize Arabic instruction, enhance teacher capabilities, and promote intercultural dialogue and cooperation.
- The initiative reflects Saudi Arabia’s broader vision to expand Arabic education globally and foster cultural diplomacy through academic collaboration.
The Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Foundation and the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) launched today the Sultan bin Abdulaziz Al Saud International Linguistic Training Program at Al‑Farabi Kazakh National University in Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan. The training runs from November 11 to 14, 2025, with participants attending a course that serves to enhance Arabic-language teaching in Central Asia and act as a bridge for culture and civilization across nations.
During the official opening ceremony, KazNU’s Chairman of the Board and Rector, Dr Zhanseit Tuimebayev, praised the program as a tangible embodiment of the Foundation's humanitarian and developmental vision-one where it uses language, culture, and knowledge as instruments of intercultural communication and a means to serve humanity.
The program invites educators of Arabic as a non-native language to enhance their linguistic and pedagogical capabilities and strengthens scientific and cultural cooperation between teaching institutions in Central Asia. In its search for ways to expand Arabic education beyond traditional geographies, the initiative works to multiply the reach by enhancing the skills of Arabic-language teachers and embedding modern instructional methods and curricula in tune with non-Arabic-speaking contexts. This collaboration of the Foundation with ICESCO is underscored by its determination to ensure that Arabic plays a more visible role in the world while forging new educational links in the region.
This four-day-long training course for linguists and teachers from several Central-Asian countries is hosted by KazNU, the leading national university in the field of Oriental and Arabic studies. The event forms part of the broader strategy pursued by the Foundation, aimed at equipping non-native Arabic speakers with high-quality teaching means and establishing long-term academic relations.
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This program is targeted at developing higher standards of Arabic-language skills, promoting formal Arabic usage, and strengthening cultural and educational ties between Kazakhstan and the Arab-Islamic world through modernizing curricula, a focus on teacher-training, and exchange across institutions.
In his speech, Dr Tuimebayev underlined the strategic role of the program not only in the sphere of linguistic development but also as one of the ways to further intercultural dialogue and bridge gaps in mutual understanding. The work is humanitarian service and developmental engagement all rolled into one, and teaching Arabic to non-native speakers can unlock broader possibilities for knowledge, cooperation, and global citizenship.
A partnership with ICESCO and KazNU is, therefore, more than a series of courses; it is an investment in the intellectual and cultural infrastructure of Central Asia. Training sessions, as part of the event, are expected to include modern approaches to pedagogy, methods of teaching Arabic to non-native speakers, and ways of integrating linguistic skills with cultural literacy.
The event represents a milestone in the Foundation's global effort to further Arabic-language education in non-Arabic-speaking countries, falling in line with Saudi Arabia's larger ambitions for greater international dissemination of Arabic culture and language. By launching the program in Kazakhstan, the Foundation and its partners reinforce their commitment to cultural diplomacy, educational innovation, and linguistic empowerment in one of the fastest-growing regions of the world.
