RIYADH: Chinese language teaching has begun in schools across the country to equip young people with valuable language skills and cultivate a deeper appreciation for the Asian nation's culture.
The language is taught to elementary and middle school students.
There are reportedly 175 teachers teaching Mandarin in Saudi Arabia, in line with an education agreement signed by the two countries last year.
“Arabic courses are widely available in Chinese universities, and many international secondary schools also have Arabic teachers.” (Shutterstock)
The ministry said that young Saudi students will have a better chance of finding jobs or continuing their studies at prestigious Chinese universities.
Hanan Alharbi, a Saudi mother from Riyadh, said she was “very positive” about the ministry's decision because it was an “important step towards promoting global culture and providing students with new and useful language skills, especially since the teachers are Chinese.”
The decision is in line with China's growing importance in the global economy and the burgeoning trade and economic ties between the two nations.
FASTFACTS
• 175 teachers are reportedly teaching Mandarin in Saudi Arabia, in line with an education agreement signed by the two countries last year.
• Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Education said it had selected several schools to pilot the language program before gradually expanding the curriculum to include teaching up to third grade by 2029.
A Chinese mother from Tianjin, Taotao Wang, said: “We see this as a positive development. For us, it means sharing the cultural classics of Chinese civilization beyond our borders.
“For Saudi Arabia, it helps remove barriers to effective communication between our two nations. This cultural exchange is about finding beauty in our differences and growing together.”
Alice Xiong, a teacher from China's Guangdong province, told Arab News that she sees the situation as a win-win situation.
“Saudi Arabia is an energetic country with many young people. There are more and more Chinese doing business and traveling in Saudi Arabia… teaching Chinese language in schools will make communication easy and direct for young people from both countries.”
He said that Arabic is now being taught in China.
“Arabic language courses are widely available in Chinese universities, and many international secondary schools also have Arabic teachers. I hope that cultural and trade exchanges between the two countries will become better and better,” he said.
The ministry said it has selected several schools to pilot the language program before gradually expanding the curriculum to include teaching up to third grade by 2029.
This phased approach will allow the Ministry to evaluate the effectiveness of the program and make necessary changes.
The Kingdom's Minister of Education, Yousef Al-Benyan, recently highlighted the government's massive investments in the sector, in line with Saudi Vision 2030.
