World Arabic Language Day
Next: December 18, 2026
A language of poetry and script.
The story
Where it comes from
On 18 December 1973 the UN General Assembly adopted resolution 3190, making Arabic an official and working language of the Assembly and the sixth official language of the UN. In 2010 the UN launched Language Days to celebrate each of its six official languages and chose this anniversary for Arabic, and in October 2012 UNESCO's Executive Board established 18 December as World Arabic Language Day. The day celebrates one of the world's most widely spoken languages, used daily by more than 400 million people, and a pillar of humanity's cultural diversity.
How it's celebrated
UNESCO marks the day in Paris, and UN offices around the world celebrate it as one of their Language Days. UNESCO's first celebration, in 2012, featured talks, a poetry evening and music, and some years have had a theme, such as Arabic calligraphy in 2014. Anyone can join in by learning to write their name in Arabic script.
Did you know
- Arabic calligraphy was added to UNESCO's list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity in 2021, nominated jointly by 16 countries.
- Arabic became an official and working language of the Security Council in 1982, nine years after the General Assembly.
- Malay has long been written in Jawi, a script based on the Arabic alphabet and adapted for Malay, and Malaysia's Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka still sets its spelling rules.
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