King Abdulaziz University Hosts Symposium on Arabic Language and Hajj

Held under the patronage of HRH Prince Khalid Al-Faisal under the theme “Global Communication and Cultural Empowerment”

Under the patronage of HRH Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, Advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Governor of Makkah Region, King Abdulaziz University (KAU), represented by the Quranic Language Endowment, hosted an academic symposium titled “Arabic Language and Hajj: Global Communication and Cultural Empowerment” on Thursday, October 29, 2026, at the King Faisal Conference Center.

Organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language, the symposium explored the role of Arabic in facilitating communication, improving services for pilgrims, and strengthening cultural and spiritual connections. Attendees included KAU President Dr. Tareef Yousuf Alaama and Dr. Ghassan bin Rashid Al-Nwaimi, Assistant Deputy Minister for International Relations and Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.

Addressing the symposium, Dr. Alaama, who also chairs the Board of Trustees of the Quranic Language Endowment, emphasized the close relationship between Arabic and Hajj, noting that it extends beyond communication to encompass religious, cultural, and civilizational dimensions. He highlighted the shared responsibility of educational and government institutions to serve visitors to the Two Holy Mosques while strengthening the global presence of Arabic.

Dr. Alaama also outlined KAU’s contributions to Arabic language education, research, and translation through its Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Arabic Language Institute for Non-Native Speakers, Research Excellence Center in Arabic Language, Translation and Arabization Center, and Quranic Language Endowment. He emphasized the importance of drawing on these resources to develop initiatives that advance research, enhance Arabic language education, and strengthen the language’s role in society.

Vice Minister of Hajj and Umrah Prof. Abdulfattah bin Sulaiman Mashat highlighted the importance of effective communication in improving the quality of services provided to Hajj and Umrah pilgrims. He stressed the need to deliver information and guidance in languages pilgrims understand while helping them become familiar with essential Arabic terminology associated with religious rituals, locations, and services. He also emphasized the value of collaboration between Hajj service providers, universities, and specialized language institutions.

Prof. Abdullah bin Saleh Al-Washmi, Secretary-General of the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language, outlined the Academy’s efforts in linguistic policy, research, Arabic language education, translation, digital content, and language technologies. He described Hajj and Umrah as areas where these disciplines intersect, highlighting opportunities to develop language resources, standardize terminology, improve communication practices, and train professionals working in related sectors.

Academic discussions were organized into two sessions addressing language policy, education, translation, and technology in Hajj services. The first, “Language Management in the Hajj Ecosystem: Policies, Messages, and Practices,” examined linguistic standards, communication in emergencies, language policy development, and functional Arabic for pilgrims. Moderated by Prof. Mohammed bin Rabee Al-Ghamdi, the session featured contributions from Prof. Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Mahmoud, Prof. Nasser bin Abdullah Al-Ghali, Prof. Kholoud Al-Saleh, Prof. Saleh bin Hamad Al-Suhaibani, and Prof. Nahla Qahwaji.

Focusing on practical applications, the second session, “Empowering Arabic During Hajj Through Education, Translation, and Technology,” explored Arabic language instruction for pilgrims, speech-based artificial intelligence, translation services, and the linguistic and spiritual significance of Arabic at the holy sites. Moderated by Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed Al-Awaji, Dean of the College of Arabic Language and Humanities at the Islamic University of Madinah, the session featured Prof. Abdulrahman bin Raja Allah Al-Sulami, Dr. Mohammed Al-Zaidi, Prof. Mohammed Al-Barakati, and Dr. Munira Al-Otaibi.

Complementing the academic sessions, the symposium featured two workshops addressing the design of Arabic content and the development of language guides for visitors to the Two Holy Mosques. The workshops were delivered by Dr. Majed bin Awad Al-Sulami of KAU’s Arabic Language Institute for Non-Native Speakers and Prof. Hussein bin Mohammed Al-Qarni of the Department of Arabic Language, respectively. Dr. Mousa Muni, also from the Arabic Language Institute for Non-Native Speakers, conducted a training course on essential Arabic writing skills for non-Arabic-speaking representatives of Hajj missions.

The opening ceremony also featured a video presentation titled “The Journey of Arabic During Hajj,” followed by recognition of participants and organizing entities by the University President.