The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre has carried out the emirate’s first community assessment of Arabic proficiency, with more than 4,000 Abu Dhabi residents taking part in a study over the past eight months.
The 12-question assessment tested participants in various aspects of Arabic, including vocabulary, spelling and syntax.
The study found differences in proficiency among the group, reporting rates of 66 per cent among Emirati participants, and 73 per cent among other Arab nationals.
Those under the age of 24 recorded the weakest overall performance, scoring more than 15 points below older age groups on the 100-point assessment, while 72 per cent of female participants and 68 per cent of men were deemed proficient.
Morphology, which concerns how Arabic words are formed and altered, was the weakest area across all participating groups, the study notes, while participants performed most strongly when identifying the meanings of words and terminology within their linguistic context.
The announcement said 70 per cent of participants achieved what the centre described as “satisfactory performance overall”, with a score of 51 set as the minimum required to reach that classification.
Ali bin Tamim, chairman of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre, said the findings would provide a clearer understanding of how Arabic is used within the community and help guide future policies and initiatives.
“The community Arabic language proficiency indicator represents an important step in our efforts to strengthen the position of Arabic in society and develop a deeper understanding of how the language is used across different generations and communities,” he said.
“By providing robust, evidence-based insights, it will help guide future language policies, educational programmes and cultural initiatives, ensuring they respond to genuine needs and deliver meaningful impact.”
The findings also form part of efforts linked to the UAE’s designation of 2026 as the Year of Family, with families seen as central to how Arabic is practised and passed on.
“Arabic is far more than a means of communication; it is a vessel of identity, culture and values. Through this initiative, we are building a knowledge base that supports the preservation and advancement of the Arabic language while reinforcing its role in everyday life,” bin Tamim said.
“This work takes on added significance as the UAE prepares for the Year of the Family in 2026, recognising the family’s vital role in nurturing language, strengthening cultural belonging and passing our heritage from one generation to the next.”
How Arabic use is changing
The study comes amid wider discussions about the place of Arabic among younger generations in the region.
In April, the Ministry of Culture announced the findings of the UAE National Reading Index 2025, which found that consistent reading in Arabic rose from 24.6 per cent in 2023 to 27.2 per cent in 2025.
English remained the preferred reading language at 48.7 per cent, down from 51 per cent in 2023.
The 2023 Arab Youth Survey, based on face-to-face interviews with 3,600 Arab citizens aged between 18 and 24 across 18 countries, found that 54 per cent believed Arabic was less important to them than it was to their parents.
Only 11 per cent of participants named language as the most important element defining their identity.
