King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language Holds 1st Arabic Language Forum in São Paulo with Support from FAMBRAS and CCAB

Last Saturday (9th), the Federation of Muslim Associations in Brazil – FAMBRAS, in partnership with the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language and the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce – CCAB, held the 1st Forum of Arabic Language and Culture in Brazil. The event, hosted at the CCAB headquarters, brought together experts, representatives from the Arab world, and over 100 attendees to celebrate the rich Arab cultural heritage in Brazil and highlight the role of the Arabic language as a bridge between cultures.

The forum opened with a speech by FAMBRAS Vice President Ali Hussein El Zoghbi, who emphasized the purpose of the event as a celebration of Arab culture and contributions to Brazil since the arrival of the first immigrants in the 19th century. “The forum transcends the Arabic language; it’s a celebration of the roots of Arab culture in Brazil,” said Zoghbi. He reflected on the legacy of his father, Hajj Hussein el Zoghbi, a pioneer in Halal certification in Brazil, which established the country as a world leader in Halal protein exports. He also highlighted Arabic’s global importance as one of the six official languages of the United Nations (UN) and described it as a “cultural bridge that promotes peace and respect among nations.”

Following the opening, distinguished speakers addressed topics such as linguistic exchange between Arabic and Portuguese, the development of literary translators, and the role of translation in cultural understanding.

The first topic, “Exchange Between the Arabic Language and World Languages – Portuguese as a Model,” was presented by Dr. Abdullah Al Faifi, Director of the Computational Linguistics Department at the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language.

In the second lecture, Silvia Antibas, the Vice President of Marketing at the Arab Chamber and a historian, discussed “The Influence of Arabic on the Portuguese Language.”

The third lecture, “The State of the Arabic Language and Its Teaching Around the World,” was given by Dr. Umamah Al Shanqiti, Director of Educational Administration at the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language.

The fourth lecture featured Dr. Safa Jubran, a professor at the University of São Paulo’s Oriental Languages Department, who spoke on “The Importance of a Permanent Space in Training Literary Translators from Arabic to Portuguese.”

Lastly, in the fifth lecture, Dr. Mansour Al Maliki, Director of Linguistic Assessment at the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language, discussed “The Role of Translation in Enhancing Cultural Understanding: Arabic in Relation to Global Cultures.”

At the closing, the speakers received plaques in honor of their contributions to the Arabic language and culture. A special recognition was given to Dr. Abdullah Al Washmi, Secretary-General of the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language, as the first honoree of the evening. Ali Hussein El Zoghbi, President of the International Halal Academy, together with the President of the Superior Council of the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Marcelo Sallum, took the stage to present Dr. Washmi with the book “Al Muqaddimah” by Ibn Khaldun.

It was emphasized that the re-edition of the Portuguese translation of this work, produced in collaboration between FAMBRAS and the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, marked a milestone in preserving and disseminating the knowledge of Ibn Khaldun, a thinker whose contributions revolutionized the study of social sciences, history, and sociology.