UAE harnesses AI to boost Arabic language global reach

ABU DHABI - The UAE has set a model in leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to integrate the Arabic language and its cultural heritage into the digital sphere, boosting its regional and global presence as a language capable of meeting future demands.

Various state institutions are rolling out AI-driven initiatives in sectors such as publishing, education, lexicography and creative content.

One of the leading projects is the Historical Dictionary of Arabic Language, a monumental scientific achievement completed last year by Sharjah, the "Capital of Arab Culture". The project documents the evolution of the Arabic language throughout history.

This was followed by the launch of the "GPT Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language" project, which utilises modern innovations to serve and disseminate the language globally. Linked to AI, the dictionary offers researchers and enthusiasts with over 20 million Arabic words. It also enables them to write and read texts, convert them into videos, and continuously feed the dictionary with new information through a collaboration between the Arabic Language Academy in Sharjah and the Emirates Scholar Research Centre.

Meanwhile, the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation is advancing digital culture and knowledge in the Arab world and globally through initiatives including the "Digital Knowledge Hub," an Arabic platform for producing, collecting and organising digital content. Last year, it surpassed 800,000 titles and 8.5 million digital items across more than 18 specialised libraries.

The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, part of the Department of Culture and Tourism, has launched several AI-based publishing projects, including a specialised digital dictionary to support digital Arabic content. It is the first comprehensive Arabic-English dictionary employing AI and computational linguistics.

The dictionary covers over 7,000 core modern terms, offering automated pronunciation, simplified definitions, examples, images, and precise grammatical and semantic classifications.

In collaboration with a team from New York University Abu Dhabi and Zayed University, the centre launched the Balanced Arabic Readability Corpus project "BAREC", which aims to collect a linguistic corpus of 10 million words encompassing a wide range of literary genres and topics.

The most recent edition of the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair saw the launch of the "Digital Square" initiative, a technical space that provided a platform to enhance the use of AI in publishing and books.

Furthermore, many educational institutions have been keen to launch diverse initiatives to promote the use of AI and modern technologies in teaching the Arabic language.

WAM