The Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (Education Department) organized, on January 5-7, 2026, a workshop entitled “The Arabic Language in the Context of Migration and Arab Identity in Mauritania and the World”.
The workshop, held in Nouakchott, Mauritania, in cooperation with the Mauritanian National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, saw the attendance of prominent intellectuals, educators, linguists, and academics from Mauritania and other Arab countries.
The opening session was attended by H.E. Dr. Mohamed Ould Amar, Director-General of ALECSO; H.E. Dr. Houda Babah Sid M'hamed, Mauritanian Minister of Education and Reform of the Education System; Mr. Mohamed Ould Sidi Abdallah, Secretary-General of the Mauritanian National Commission for Education, Culture and Science; Dr. Rami Iskander, Director of Education at ALECSO; Eng. Mohamed Ablal Ahmed, Secretary-General for Higher Education and Scientific Research; Mr. Yahya Ould Bowba, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Education and Reform of the Education System; and Dr. Khalil Al-Nahwi, President of the Arabic Language Council. The event also saw the participation of educational leaders, linguists, academics, and educational and cultural planning officials, along with teachers, inspectors, and researchers interested in identity issues.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Ould Amar stressed that the Arabic language, a fundamental pillar of Arab identity, is facing growing challenges in migration contexts and in an era of rapid transformations. He called for adopting balanced approaches that reconcile authenticity with renewal and that link language to life, education, and the development of individuals capable of effectively engaging with the world.
The Director-General took this opportunity to commend Mauritania’s leading role in preserving and promoting Arabic across the Arab and African spheres. He affirmed that the Department of Education at ALECSO attaches great importance to the promotion of Arabic language education, which culminated in the project of developing a “Common Framework of Reference for the Arabic Language.”
The Director-General noted that the workshop aligns with ALECSO’s broader vision to consolidate the position of Arabic in a changing world and strengthen its role as a unifying language of identity and knowledge, serving as an effective tool in building Arab societies that are self-confident, open to the world, and firmly rooted in their cultural heritage.
The workshop was attended by Dr. Rami Iskander, Director of Education at ALECSO, who supervised the implementation of this activity as part of the Education Department’s programs, and Mr. Osama Habash, Project Coordinator at the same Department.
