RIYADH: Mandarin has entered Saudi Arabia’s public schools, marking another step in the kingdom’s deepening ties with China. As part of a broader push to diversify its economy and global alliances, Saudi Arabia has made Mandarin a compulsory second foreign language in select schools.
Students like Shaalan, who now learn Arabic, English, and Mandarin, see the language as a valuable asset for their future. “At first, it was difficult, but now it has become easy and fun,” he told AFP. He and his classmates receive three Mandarin lessons a week, taught by Ma Shuaib, a Chinese Muslim fluent in Arabic.
Saudi Arabia introduced Mandarin into six of its 13 administrative regions in August 2023. The move follows a 2019 announcement by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to integrate the language into the education system. Several Saudi universities now offer Chinese language programmes, and Riyadh’s Prince Sultan University hosts the country’s first Confucius Institute.
The decision aligns with China’s growing global influence. In Riyadh, where thousands of Chinese professionals work, airport signs now appear in Arabic, English, and Chinese. Saudi officials say the language is key to future economic cooperation, with school director Sattam al-Otaibi calling Mandarin “the language of the future for economic communication.”
Saudi-China ties have flourished under the Vision 2030 initiative, which aims to reduce reliance on oil. China is now Saudi Arabia’s largest trade partner, with bilateral trade exceeding $100 billion in 2023. The relationship extends beyond economics—China brokered a surprise reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Iran last year.
With hundreds of Chinese teachers arriving in Saudi Arabia and plans to send Saudi educators to China for training, the Mandarin push reflects the kingdom’s evolving global strategy.
-Agencies
