Dubai: In honour of the World Arabic Language Day yesterday (18 December), the Poland Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai organised a variety of cultural and entertainment activities, reflecting the link between Arab and Polish cultures and the relationship between the European nation and the Arab world.

An exhibition introduced famous Polish literary and scientific books translated into Arabic, while children were able to write the names of their countries in Arabic and post them on the map of Poland, in addition to the pavilion offering traditional Arabic henna designs. Polish pavilion employees fluent in Arabic were also present.

Claudia Jimensky, Activities Officer, Poland Pavilion, said: “The pavilion’s interest in the Arabic language reflects a very special quality of Poland-Arab world relationship, where Polish culture and literature have attracted the attention of many Arab writers and intellectuals for many years.

Ada, a first-year master’s student in international relations at the University of Łódź in Poland, said: “I started learning the Arabic language during COVID-19 curfew period. My interest in the Arabic language was not a spur of those circumstances, but rather an inner desire years ago.

“What drew me to the Arabic language is … mathematics, chemistry and medicine are of Arab origin, as the Arab region was the cradle of all these sciences. As a student of international relations, every topic we deal with, the Middle East and North of Africa is somehow engaged in it. Therefore, I am currently considering moving to an Arab country to master the Arabic language better”.