Under the patronage of Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, the American University of Sharjah launches the world’s only UNESCO chair combining the Arabic language, artificial intelligence, and digital heritage.
A historic agreement under the patronage of Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi
Protecting endangered Arabic dialects and the technical challenges of the Arabic language
Open-source projects and partnerships spanning Africa, Asia, and the Pacific
What has actually been accomplished and expected future research outputs
Frequently Asked Questions
A historic agreement under the patronage of Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi
On October 19, 2026, the American University of Sharjah announced the signing of an official agreement with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to establish a specialized academic chair focusing on “the Arabic language, artificial intelligence, and digital heritage.” According to a statement issued by the university and the Emirates News Agency (WAM), this academic chair is the only one of its kind globally that combines these three focal points within a single research framework.
The chair was established under the patronage of Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, President of the American University of Sharjah and Chairperson of its Board of Trustees, with the aim of supporting scientific research, specialized training, and international cooperation in the fields of the Arabic language and cultural heritage.
Protecting endangered Arabic dialects and the technical challenges of the Arabic language
The UNESCO Chair represents a mechanism for international academic cooperation that goes beyond the concept of individual professorships to include research programs, partnerships, and the development of specialized knowledge. The American University of Sharjah initiative will work to link linguistic and cultural studies with modern digital technologies, focusing on collecting, digitizing, and organizing cultural materials, while paying special attention to endangered Arabic dialects and forms of heritage that are difficult to preserve or access.
The Arabic language poses significant technical challenges for artificial intelligence systems due to the sharp contrast between written Modern Standard Arabic and spoken regional dialects, as well as differences in spelling rules, fonts, and linguistic patterns in historical documents. This requires appropriate databases and expert supervision to evaluate linguistic accuracy in transcription, classification, and translation tasks.
Open-source projects and partnerships spanning Africa, Asia, and the Pacific
The university explained that the chair will use artificial intelligence, machine learning, and digital tools to create open-access resources and training programs, including workshops and professional certifications for young researchers, media professionals, and cultural practitioners.
For his part, Irakli Khodeli, the UNESCO representative, emphasized the importance of ensuring that the Arabic language is effectively represented in global technological development, while the university intends to cooperate with institutions in the Arab world, Africa, and the Asia-Pacific region given the extension of Arab archives outside the Gulf region.
What has actually been accomplished and expected future research outputs
This project addresses a major gap in the development of artificial intelligence represented by the weak presence of Arabic linguistic and historical materials in major commercial systems. The accomplishment completed so far is the formal signing of the agreement to establish the chair, while specific digital archives, databases, and software tools remain future activities under development, and the announcement does not mean the launch of a new Arabic language model at this stage.
The launch of the UNESCO Chair for Arabic Language, Artificial Intelligence, and Digital Heritage at the American University of Sharjah, under the patronage of Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, represents a pioneering scientific and cultural step to bridge the digital divide suffered by Arabic languages, dialects, and historical manuscripts in global artificial intelligence systems.
By combining academic linguistic research with machine learning techniques to digitize heritage, preserve endangered dialects, and provide open resources and training programs in cooperation with institutions in the Arab world, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific, Sharjah is establishing a long-term institutional pillar to enhance the presence of the Arabic language in the advanced technology era.
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: What distinguishes the new UNESCO Chair at the American University of Sharjah?
Answer: The chair is the only one in the world that combines the Arabic language, artificial intelligence, and digital heritage in a joint academic and research program.
Question: Under whose patronage was the agreement to establish the UNESCO Chair signed at the university?
Answer: The chair was established under the patronage of Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, President of the American University of Sharjah and Chairperson of its Board of Trustees.
Question: What scientific and cultural goals does the chair seek to achieve?
Answer: It aims to collect, digitize, and organize cultural and historical materials, preserve endangered Arabic dialects, and develop open resources and training programs for researchers and media professionals.
Question: Why do artificial intelligence systems face challenges in handling Arab heritage?
Answer: Due to the wide diversity between Modern Standard Arabic and spoken dialects, as well as differences in fonts and spelling styles in ancient manuscripts and historical documents.
