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Sunday, June 14, 2026 | Daily Newspaper published by GPPC Doha, Qatar.

Tag Results for "Arabic" (24 articles)

Gulf Times
Qatar

Al Jazeera 360 wins accolade at Swedish Film Awards

Al Jazeera 360's film 'The Last Doctor' has won the Best Short Documentary Award at the Swedish Film Awards, marking another achievement for the platform and reflecting the quality of Arabic documentary content and its ability to compete internationally.The film tells the story of Palestinian doctor Hussam Abu Safieh, who has dedicated his life to providing medical care to the residents of the Gaza Strip, defying the ongoing bombardment and war since 2023.It takes viewers on a moving journey that chronicles the doctor's suffering and his determination to save lives and restore hope despite immense challenges, celebrating the values of sacrifice and resilience, and highlighting the unsung heroes who serve their communities without expecting anything in return.The 45-minute film documents Dr Abu Safieh and his medical team's journey over 16 consecutive months of work in difficult and dangerous conditions, amid repeated attempts by Israeli occupation forces to evacuate and destroy the hospital. Despite holding a foreign passport that would have allowed him safe passage, he chose to remain at the targeted hospital to serve his people until his arrest in December 2024.In poignant documentary style, The Last Doctor portrays Dr Hussam Abu Safieh as an icon and symbol of human dignity and peaceful resistance, highlighting his steadfastness and sacrifices in serving his community during the brutal war in Gaza.According to his lawyer, Dr Abu Safieh was beaten during his detention in the notorious Ofer prison, and human rights reports indicate that he lost half his body weight due to starvation and mistreatment. The film emphasises his determination to keep the hospital operational to provide vital healthcare to over 450,000 Palestinians in northern Gaza. It also shed light on the immense sacrifices he and his team made, including the martyrdom of most of the medical staff, the assassination of his son, Ibrahim, the injury of his son, Idris, and the destruction of his family home. 

His Excellency Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz al-Kawari
Qatar

‘Doha Dictionary is Qatar’s gift to the present and future of Arabic’

The Doha Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language is Qatar’s gift to the present and future of the Arabic language, His Excellency the Minister of State and president of the Qatar National Library (QNL) Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz al-Kawari has said, lauding the pioneering role played by the nation and its continued support for this pioneering project. “The Doha Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language Qatar’s gift to the present and future of the Arabic language,” he wrote on X. “It was a luminous day in the history of the Arabic language, a day that brings solace to the memory and peace to the soul, with the presence of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, on the occasion of the announcement of the completion of the Doha Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language.” “This great cultural project, long awaited, has arrived today as a testament to the fact that Arabic remains at the heart of attention and care,” HE Dr al-Kawari added. “I was honoured to attend this distinguished occasion and to listen to the speeches that highlighted the greatness of this scholarly achievement and the tireless efforts exerted by the scholars and researchers over many years of rigorous and systematic work.” “They deserve all the honour and appreciation for their invaluable service to the Arabic language, both today and in the future,” he stressed. HE Dr al-Kawari said that the Doha Dictionary is far more than a volume destined for library shelves; it represents the collective memory of Arabic across the ages, tracing the origins of words, the evolution of their meanings, and their journeys through thought, science, and literature. The minister added that by placing Arabic in its rightful position among the world’s major languages, equipped with comprehensive historical and reference dictionaries, the project provides the language with solid scientific foundations, enabling it to engage confidently and effectively with the era of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital knowledge.He highlighted Qatar’s pioneering role and sustained support for this landmark initiative, praising the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies for the significant institutional and scholarly effort behind it. The institute, HE Dr al-Kawari noted, has set a distinguished example by successfully uniting cultural vision, rigorous academic work, and long-term strategic planning.“A salute to Qatar and its wise leadership for this great achievement, which has transformed the Arabic language into a project for the future, not merely a legacy of the past,” he said. “A salute to every scholar and researcher who contributed to this enduring work, which will remain a shining beacon in the history of Arabic and a cornerstone in strengthening its global standing and future.” 


Dr Rachid Belhabib
Qatar

Experts hail Doha Historical Dictionary achievement

The Doha Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language represents a breakthrough in linguistic research, built on a scale and methodology never before achieved in Arabic lexicography, experts have told Gulf Times. Speaking on the sidelines of the launch ceremony, Moroccan scholar Dr Rachid Belhabib said: “Building a historical dictionary requires significant effort and a well-defined vision to guide the process.” He said previous projects fail because they lacked a clear, structured plan and a robust digital infrastructure capable of supporting collaborative editing of dictionary entries across regions of the Arab world. “Therefore, in the initial editing phase, approximately 330 editors worked with us, spanning Mauritania, Iraq, Palestine, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and other Arab countries,” Dr Belhabib said. “This would not have been possible without a computer system that would allow everyone to work simultaneously, ensuring an open, reviewable, and scientifically validated production line for dictionary entries, and enabling their upload to the platform for the benefit of the Arab reader,” he pointed out. Dr Mohamed al-Khatib, a contributor to the Doha Historical Dictionary, cited the linguistic specificities of the dictionary. “The dictionary examines the word, from nearly two thousand years ago to the present, tracing its origins, its initial meaning, and how that meaning evolved across different eras and fields of knowledge,” he said. “The difference between the Doha Historical Dictionary and previous dictionaries is that the Doha Historical Dictionary chronicles every meaning and traces every derived word,” Dr al-Khatib stated. “Most other dictionaries lack derivatives, mentioning only the root and two or three words,” he explained. “The Doha Dictionary, however, addresses every word in its entirety, including its Arabic origins and derivations.” Other linguists and lexicography experts involved in the Doha Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language described its completion as a major milestone in the history of Arabic language scholarship. The Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported that the project’s rigorous scientific methodology traces Arabic words in their historical and cognitive contexts from the earliest documented sources. The experts said that the dictionary goes beyond linguistic documentation, reconstructing the historical memory of the Arabic language. They noted that the project combined collective expertise with modern technology, strengthening Arabic’s role in contemporary research. The executive director of the Doha Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language, Dr Azeddine Bouchikhi, said that work began in 2013 involving more than 500 experts.The dictionary divides the history of Arabic into three main periods: up to 200 AH, 201-500 AH, and 501 AH to the present, with smaller sub-periods in between.The project has produced around 300,000 entries and a digital corpus containing nearly 1bn words. Dr Bouchikhi highlighted the dictionary’s historical focus, which maps each word and its meanings along a timeline. He said achieving this required collecting Arabic texts spanning 20 centuries, creating a searchable digital corpus, and recording the evolution of words and roots. Dr Ramzi Baalbaki, head of the dictionary’s scientific council, said that the project overcame significant challenges, including tracing the origins and developments of multiple word roots and verifying their historical usage. He praised Qatar’s support for the project, noting that it reflects the country’s ongoing commitment to major scientific and linguistic initiatives. Dr Ali Ahmed al-Kubaisi, a member of the dictionary’s scientific council, said that the project documents the evolution of Arabic words from their earliest recorded usage to the present day, supported by historical evidence. He said that this allows readers to trace semantic changes over time and understand how meanings developed within their original contexts. Dr Moqbel al-Tam al-Ahmadi, head of lexicographic editing, said the richness of the Arabic language posed one of the project’s biggest challenges, given its vast vocabulary. He said strong institutional support helped overcome these difficulties, resulting in a large digital corpus that reconstructs the historical memory of the language. Dr al-Ahmadi stressed the importance of continuously updating the dictionary, noting that a historical dictionary is only fully complete when its material continues to reflect linguistic change. Dr Abdulsalam al-Massadi, also a member of the scientific council, described the dictionary as a unique achievement rooted in advanced research and specialisation, adding that Arabic must remain connected to its historical depth to maintain its global relevance. Meanwhile, Dr Mohammed Hassan al-Tayyan said the dictionary represents the memory of the nation, and praised the rigorous verification processes applied to its entries and Qatar’s role in supporting the project despite its scale and complexity. 

Faisal Abdulhameed Al-Mudahka, Editor-in-Chief of Gulf Times
Qatar

Qatar’s enduring service to Arabic

Since the inception of the Doha Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani has been supporting this massive project since 2013 as the heir apparent back then in a manifestation of His Highness’ commitment to the Arab language and civilisation. After more than 13 years of research, experimentation, and documentation, the Doha Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language was announced, marking the completion of an unprecedented Arabic linguistic project. Thus, the final version of the dictionary was officially announced, concluding its third phase, thus crowning the hard work in this project that brought together more than 300 scholars for the first time in the history of the construction of Arabic dictionaries to learn how to make a historical dictionary. Such endeavours are budget-draining, and one of the backbones that has been ensured by Qatar and His Highness’s generous support to the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, which was entrusted with managing this prestigious project. This is going to be a landmark in the Arab world and will allow researchers today and for many generations to come to read Arabic texts with a precise historical understanding, free from the imposition of modern meanings. Apart from the fact that the dictionary will provide a rich and systematised corpus, it will facilitate scientific researchers’ endeavours. The dictionary is going to offer a valued knowledge base which will benefit Arab academics, writers, and intellectuals to include anyone interested in research in language and culture. Another plus is that the linguistic data and particulars collected by this project will contribute to the development of Arabic applications in computer science and AI. For the first time, the Arabic dictionary is to reveal the richness and vitality of the Arabic language, debunking claims that Arabic language is not capable of development or disengaged from contemporary Arabic dialects. Moreover, the Arab Dictionary will prove that the gap between classical Arabic and local dialects is far smaller than commonly believed, for, most of the Arab dialects are derived from classical Arabic. This dictionary proves once more that Qatar is firmly rooted in history and deeply ingrained in civilisation. As the user friendliness of the Dictionary attests, it will serve both researchers and the young Arab generations as a modern reference, and the achievement of the dictionary is an incentive to expand a journey for more perfection, and the continuation of a unique scientific achievement after 13 years of continuous hard endeavours. It will call for ongoing updating while it opens new horizons for research and knowledge. This reflects the Arab world's capacity to keep pace with developments in the fields of computing and artificial intelligence and to produce pioneering cultural projects, thus the Arab Dictionary is now among the world's living languages. 

Gulf Times
Qatar

Amir graces completion ceremony of Doha Historical Dictionary

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani witnessed Monday morning the completion ceremony of the Doha Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language in Katara Hall in the Fairmont and Raffles Hotels in Doha.  During the ceremony, a film was shown about the new electronic portal of the dictionary, which provides users with historical lexical material and reflects the dictionary's role in enhancing the Arabic language's digital presence and expanding the circles benefiting from it through modern and advanced means. **media[396416]**HH the Amir honoured the experts, researchers, and editors who worked to complete the dictionary project at various stages of its completion in appreciation of their scientific and research efforts, in addition to the great service provided to the Arabic language. **media[396415]**The ceremony was attended by a number of Their Excellencies Ministers, representatives of regional and international organisations, heads of Arabic language academies, those interested in Arab culture, members of the Scientific Council of the Doha Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language, experts and researchers, and guests of the ceremony. 

Gulf Times
Qatar

QF students showcase richness of Arabic at UN anti-corruption conference

As Qatar hosted the 11th session of the Conference of the States Parties to the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) earlier this month, students from Qatar Foundation (QF) schools participated in the Arabic Language Day celebration held as part of the conference.The event, organised by Qatar’s Administrative Control and Transparency Authority with the participation of QF, underscored the Arabic language’s role as a bridge for human dialogue and a tool for cultural understanding, while highlighting the importance of investing in the language through education and empowering younger generations.Students presented a range of contributions, including poetry and formal speeches delivered in classical Arabic.These performances highlighted the beauty and flexibility of the Arabic language and its role in shaping awareness and identity. The celebration concluded with a group performance that showcased the richness of Arabic and the linguistic and artistic potential it holds, reflecting its depth and authenticity.**media[396552]**Speaking on the occasion, Azlaa al-Qahtani, head of Culture and Identity at QF’s Pre-University Education (PUE), said: “The participation of QF students in this international event reflects QF’s deep belief that empowering students begins with giving them genuine opportunities to express their identity and language in national and international forums.”She added that the event emphasised that Arabic is not merely a cultural element, but a fundamental pillar in building confident, aware individuals capable of dialogue and effective communication.Al-Qahtani further noted that the experience helped prepare students to represent Qatar with confidence by engaging them in formal and international settings that allow them to practice public speaking and dialogue before diverse audiences.“Standing on international platforms and speaking Arabic in a global context strengthens students’ awareness of their role as ambassadors of their identity and culture, and builds their confidence in representing their country with a strong command of language, balanced thinking, and a human-centred message,” she stated.She added that when students recognise their language’s ability to express universal human concepts such as peace, justice, and dignity, their sense of responsibility toward it grows. This, in turn, deepens their awareness of their role in building a balanced society that is open to the world while remaining firmly rooted in its identity.From an artistic perspective, Samer Hani Haddad, music arts teacher at Qatar Academy Sidra, part of QF’s Pre-University Education, said the arts, particularly music, play a central role in strengthening students’ linguistic and cultural identity.“The arts provide students with a creative space to express their sense of belonging. When students engage with the Arabic language through singing and musical performance, it becomes part of their personal experience rather than an academic subject. This reinforces their sense of pride and belonging and deepens their awareness of Arabic culture as a living and dynamic element,” he added. 

Gulf Times
Qatar

ACTA President underlines role of Arabic language in preserving cultural identity

His Excellency President of the Administrative Control and Transparency Authority (ACTA), Hamad bin Nasser Al Misnad affirmed that the Arabic language constitutes a fundamental pillar in promoting the values of integrity and transparency and safeguarding cultural identity, adding that ethical values are inseparable from language and culture.In a speech delivered during the celebration of World Arabic Language Day — held in conjunction with the State of Qatar’s hosting of the eleventh session of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption, His Excellency stated: "The Arabic language is not merely a means of communication; it is a vessel of culture, a repository of values, and a tool for enhancing societal awareness." He explained that "the precision of meaning and the elevated structures embodied in the Arabic language contribute to reinforcing the principles of truthfulness, trustworthiness, and accountability, and to protecting words from distortion and deviation, thereby supporting efforts to build more upright and transparent societies."He noted that the coincidence of World Arabic Language Day with Qatar National Day carries profound symbolism, underscoring the status of the language as a bridge for dialogue, a platform for culture, and a means of upholding human dignity. He said: "The concurrence of World Arabic Language Day with the National Day of the State of Qatar embodies deep symbolism that affirms the language’s role as a bridge for dialogue, a forum for culture, and an instrument for elevating human being and preserving dignity, as well as for renewing national and international commitment to combating corruption."In concluding his remarks, HE Al Misnad commended the efforts of the entities organizing the event, stressing the importance of continuing to strengthen the presence of the Arabic language across various fields, in a manner that contributes to consolidating ethical values and building sustainable societal awareness.

Gulf Times
Qatar

MoEHE hosts second edition of Arabic Language Forum for private schools

The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE) organised Monday the second edition of the Arabic Language Forum for private schools and kindergartens. The forum is being organized this year with the slogan 'Arabic Language in Private Schools: Challenges and Opportunities,' with the participation of an elite of experts and researchers.Held under the patronage of Her Excellency Minister of Education and Higher Education Lolwah bint Rashid AlKhater, the two-day forum will give the participants the chance to discuss key themes related to curricula, teacher competencies, educational innovation, academic partnerships, and envisioning the future of the Arabic language in multilingual school environments.The forum activities include organizing development workshops that contribute to improving teaching and assessment methods in private schools, presented by specialized speakers from Arab and friendly countries, thus enriching this educational event. In his opening speech, Assistant Undersecretary for Private Education Affairs at MoEHE Omar Abdulaziz al-Naama, expressed his happiness at participating in the forum opening, which brings together participants to enhance the status of the Arabic language in private schools.He expressed his belief that private schools are a strategic partner in the educational system, pointing out the ministry's keenness on global openness in them, as well as its commitment to ensuring that the Arabic language remains strongly present. The Arabic language is vessel of our identity, the symbol of our belonging, and the basic pillar in building the character of our children, he said, pointing out that, despite the challenges that we face in this field today, this forum confirms the determination to turn those into real opportunities.The forum aims to explore ways to present the Arabic language to pupils and students in a modern and attractive manner, while taking advantage of modern technologies and artificial intelligence (AI), and exchanging successful experiences that make learning Arabic not only a school duty but also a passion, he added.Al-Naama concluded his speech by affirming that the goal of this forum is to build a generation that cherishes the language's heritage and keeps pace with the contemporary demands, in order to achieve Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV 2030), expressing his gratitude to the partners, especially Qatar University (QU), and those in charge of organizing the forum.For her part, Director of Private Schools and Kindergarten Department and Acting Director of the Private School Licensing Department at MoEHE Dr Rania Yousry Mohamed, said that the forum is being organized based on the recommendations of its first edition, in addition to the approaching World Arabic Language Day, which falls on Dec 18.As part of supporting efforts to develop Arabic education, she called for encouraging schools and relevant institutions to build AI-powered Arabic digital platforms and enabling teachers to use these tools in classrooms, stressing that AI remained a supportive tool and not a substitute for human interaction in the educational process.The Arabic language is more than a tool of communication; it embodies identity and carries the richness of thought and culture. As the language of the Qur'an, nurturing its study is both a moral and intellectual imperative, Dr Rania noted.During the forum, an announcement has been made on the formation of a team to develop the Arabic language in private schools in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, in a first step that will be followed by others that include all Arab countries, considering that the GCC countries are similar in terms of identity, culture, opportunities and challenges related to child education and teaching the Arabic language in private schools.The team aims to develop a joint strategic plan to develop the Arabic language education in the GCC counties' private schools, including general objectives and key success indicators, as well as to monitor the implementation of joint programs and initiatives and measure their impact on the quality of Arabic education and learning outcomes.The team's objectives also include strengthening coordination between the Ministries of Education in the GCC countries, exchanging best practices and enhancing students' linguistic and cultural identity. The team is expected to contribute to a qualitative shift in Arabic language education in private schools and kindergartens, through the development of joint coordination, the integration of educational policies and practices, the preparation of unified professional training programs, and the implementation of pioneering research projects, ultimately leading to the establishment of an advanced Gulf model for teaching Arabic that educational institutions in the Arab world can benefit from. 

Gulf Times
Qatar

Katara Arabic Novel Festival activities continues to 6th day

The activities of the 11th edition of the Katara Arabic Novel Festival have continued for the sixth consecutive day.A discussion session on “The Novel Through Dark Lenses” was held Saturday, featuring writer Kholoud Hamad, the vice-chairperson of the Qatar Cultural Centre for the Blind, and moderated by Mohamed al-Shahwani, head of Katara’s Cultural Literature Department.The speaker stressed that “The Novel Through Dark Lenses” is not about the loss of sight but rather about another form of vision, since writing itself is the light that never goes out.Hamad discussed several key themes, beginning with an introduction to the world of the novel and the reasons we write it.She explained the differences between the novel, the short story, and the vignette, which lie in aspects such as length, time span, the number of characters, plot, language, and ending.Hamad then addressed the difference between the writing of a blind person and that of a sighted person, clarifying that it stems from a difference in perception rather than ability.She described how a blind writer reconstructs space using other senses such as sound, touch, smell, and time, in addition to the technological tools used for writing, including screen readers, Braille, and voice dictation.Hamad also explored how the absence of visual imagery affects language formation and narrative rhythm.She highlighted several Arab blind novelists and their experiences, including Khalil Mohamed Ibrahim from Iraq, author of The Beggars’ State (2014); Abdulhamid Younes from Egypt, known for his works in folklore and popular narrative; and Taha Hussein, the Egyptian pioneer whose novels The Days and The Call of the Curlew are regarded as foundational historical models.Hamad concluded that creativity does not require two eyes but rather a linguistic and human insight.She also spoke about the narrative code of writing “through dark lenses”.On another note, the Workshop on Young Adult Novels and Visual Arts concluded its activities at the Katara Library of Arabic Novels, Building 48.Khalid al-Muhannadi, the director of the Katara Library of Arabic Novels, distributed certificates of appreciation to the participants.The two-day workshop was led by trainer Ilham Mujahid al-Amri.Meanwhile, a puppet theatre performance titled The Novel in Puppet Theatre was held over two days in Hall 12.The performance was an adaptation of The Handkerchief Seller, the novel that won the Katara Prize for Arabic Novel in the Young Adult Fiction category, written by Egyptian novelist Ahmed Tosson.The script and dialogue were written by artist Qais al-Kanzari, with Fatima al-Shurooqi handling editing and musical recording.The play tells the story of a boy who leaves school and runs away from home to work in Cairo.Along the way, he meets a kind man who convinces him to return to his sick father and reminds him that his future lies in education.A seminar on “Heritage Narratives in the Arabic Novel” was held yesterday, featuring speakers Dr Youssef al-Idrisi, academic and critic, and Dr Ali Fathallah, academic and researcher.The session was moderated by journalist and novelist Mohamed Daho, who opened the discussion by emphasising that the Arabic novel, in all its forms and evolutions, has drawn from many sources that give Arabic storytelling its unique flavour, foremost among them being heritage.

Gulf Times
Qatar

Katara Festival for Arabic Novel discusses 'The Novel and the Aesthetics of Translation'

The 11th edition of the Katara Festival for Arabic Novel continued Friday.The festival will continue until tomorrow, featuring seminars, discussion panels, and the launch of new publications.A seminar titled "The Novel and the Aesthetics of Translation" was held Friday, discussing the relationship between narrative creativity and linguistic and cultural context, and translation as a bridge between languages.Speaking at the seminar were novelist Mohamed Suleiman al-Shazly, translator Sameh Kroum, and translator Kholoud Amr, and it was moderated by Dr Hanaa al-Bawab.A dialogue session was held with writer Abdel Aziz al-Sayed about his novel *The Carnation Seller, moderated by journalist Mohamed Dahou.A seminar was also held on "The Novel: From Text to Reader: Marketing Mechanisms and the Horizon of Dissemination".Speakers were novelist Jalal Barjas, sales and marketing specialist Aya al-Zein, and digital marketing specialist Jibril Kahlout.The seminar addressed the writers’ relationship with their audience via social media, the role of literary awards in disseminating Arabic books, and the concept of digital marketing.Another seminar highlighted "The Novel and Television Drama in the Gulf: From Written Narration to Spoken Image".Speakers were writer Dr Marzouq Bashir, media personality Mirza al-Khuwailidi, director Rashid Malhas, and writer Mohammed al-Nashmi.The seminar was moderated by Dr Fahd al-Hindal.Meanwhile, the Katara Book Fair, held as part of the 11th Katara Novel Festival, witnessed the launch of the latest publications from some of the participating publishing houses.Katara Publishing House launched the book *Financial Oversight During Crises: A Reading of Lessons Learned from the Coronavirus Crisis" by Dr Salwa Hamed al-Mulla.The book addresses the impact of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic and the challenges it has posed to the economy and productivity.Dar Rosa launched several of its recent publications, including *Coffee with a Little Fascism by Sheikh Nawaf bin Mubarak al-Thani, a book on digital photography by Abdullah al-Jassim, and *Fresh Thoughts by Jassim Abdulrahman al-Khouri.

Gulf Times
Qatar

Arabic calligraphy takes centrestage in Doha with launch of 'Akhlaq Award' finals

The activities associated with the finals of the Akhlaq Award -- an international competition to revive Arabic calligraphy -- kicked off in Doha, under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture.The competition is recognized as one of the leading cultural initiatives that celebrate the aesthetic and spiritual dimensions of Arabic calligraphy, while promoting its presence in both local and international cultural spheres.Running over four days, the event features a series of lectures, cultural programmes, and panel discussions, with the participation of distinguished calligraphers, artists, and academics. The opening session, moderated by visual artist Kholoud al-Kuwari, spotlighted prominent local contributions to the development of calligraphy in Qatar.Qatari writer and researcher Ibrahim Yousif Fakhro shared his 25-year journey with Arabic calligraphy, emphasizing its deep-rooted role in Islamic and Arab identity. He highlighted how the transcription of the Holy Qur'an historically elevated the art form, as early calligraphers regarded their work as a spiritual act, writing the words of God.Fakhro noted that Qatar has recently placed strong emphasis on incorporating calligraphy into modern architecture, aligning with its national vision to preserve and promote Islamic and Arab cultural heritage. He cited Barwa Street and the Qatar National Library as landmark projects that reflect this approach.

Gulf Times
Qatar

15 calligraphers for 'Ethics Award' finale

Fifteen calligraphers from around the world are competing in the finals of the international competition for Arabic calligraphy, the 'Ethics Award', organised by the Ministry of Culture, being held from September 1-8 in Doha. The finalists, selected from among more than 250 participants, will face a sophisticated artistic challenge for prizes totaling nearly half a million Qatari riyals.This event at the Rosewood Hotel in Doha, reflects the Ministry of Culture's vision of promoting Arab and Islamic arts and highlighting the aesthetic and ethical values of Arabic calligraphy.A group of leading calligraphers and experts are to oversee the judging process, ensuring evaluation according to the highest artistic standards. The competitions are accompanied by a diverse programme that includes specialized seminars and interactive workshops, allowing attendees to explore the various international art schools in this field.This enriches Arabic calligraphers, introduces them to the most prominent trends in the local cultural scene, and opens up broader horizons for communication between creative artists. The event is to conclude with a grand ceremony held in the theatre of the new Ministry of Culture building, during which the winners will be honoured and their creations showcased to the public. This celebration reflects the status of Arabic calligraphy in the hearts of generations and emphasizes its role as one of the most important components of the cultural and artistic identity of the Arab and Islamic nation.