DUBAI: Canon Middle East (CME), a leader in imaging solutions, commemorated the United Nation’s (UN) World Arabic Language Day in 2017 through a series of activities that support and celebrate the Arabic language across the region. These initiatives included sponsoring the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF) ‘Bil Arabi’ initiative in its fifth edition as well as launching a region-wide social media campaign to emphasise the importance of promoting Arabic in the digital age.
Held annually on the 18th December since 1973, UN Arabic Language Day aims to celebrate multilingualism, cultural diversity and the equal use of all six of its official working languages. By extension, ‘Bil Arabi’ also seeks to engage all members of society in the UAE and around the world, to bridge cultural differences and gain a deeper understanding of the Arabic language as well as promote its history and significance among native Arabic speakers.
Mai Youssef, Corporate Communications & Marketing Services Director, Middle East & Africa- Canon Middle East said, “The Arabic language is very rich, complex and is engulfed with immense history. It is for this reason, that we all should play a role in preserving it for generations to come. Encapsulating the vision of our great leaders, the ‘Bil Arabi’ initiative is designed to cement the role and status of the Arabic language amongst the community and encourage future generations to be proud of their heritage. At Canon, we will continue to partner and support the government’s vision for this worthy cause, which is also a true reflection of our corporate philosophy of Kyosei, meaning living and working together for the common good.”
This year CME also engaged the community at large on social media by asking them to express their appreciation of the Arabic language by sharing their favourite Arabic quotes and sayings. A winner was then selected and an animated calligraphy of their quote was produced and shared on Canon’s social media channels. In addition, Canon issued a call to action for individuals to send videos pledging to contribute towards using Arabic in written and digital communications to support this ancient language continue to flourish in modern times.
“Canon Middle East knows the importance of the Arabic language in the region, and to ensure that we effectively communicate with our partners and customers in Arabic all our products and solutions are supported with an Arabic interface, and we are emphasising this further through sponsoring ‘Bil Arabi’ and creating a social media campaign,” added Mai. “Our aim is to also support the creation of Arabic digital content which is in high demand, but unfortunately quite limited. Based on various reports, Arabic digital content stands at only 2-3 percent globally, which is not in proportion to the number of Arabic speakers worldwide. Canon’s imaging products and solutions are some of the tools to encourage youth in the region to create their own content in Arabic and expand Arabic digital resources.As the world becomes more digitised, Canon will continue to support the growth of the Arabic language so it is an integral part of the Smart vision adopted by several governments regionally.”
Youth in the region today are extremely digitally savvy with one of the highest internet and smart mobile phone penetration rates in the world. Their desire to access to technology and information in Arabic is driving the push for increased digital Arabic content.The prospects of creating and expanding digital Arabic content will not only benefit Arabic speakers gaining access to information and knowledge, but as a result promote long-term economic diversity and growth. News Desk
