Saudi Arabia will soon start teaching Chinese language and literature in educational institutions as part of the curriculum after the Middle East country recently signed an agreement with the Chinese governments.
The Memorandum of Understanding also includes teaching Mandarin to Saudi teachers and exposing them to Chinese culture, a report in Gulf News said.
An education professor said that learning Chinese will also promote trade relations between the two countries.
The idea of introducing the Chinese language in Saudi education curriculum was introduced by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2019. Experts claim that the language will soon become a language of great impact in the future.
“Everyone is well aware of the international trend for learning the Chinese language, even in developed countries where politicians are proud of their sons and daughters speaking Chinese,” Mohammed Asiri, assistant professor at King Abdulaziz University reportedly said.
“Chinese will become a language of great impact in the future. In fact, the decision taken by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2019 about including the Chinese language in the educational curricula emphasizes the importance of the language,” he added.
Earlier this month, Chinese leader Xi Jinping visited Saudi Arabia and attended meetings with oil-rich Gulf Arab nations crucial to his country’s energy supplies. China has long been a close energy partner of Saudi Arabia, consuming roughly a quarter of its crude exports last year.
The Middle Eastern nation saw a huge influx of Chinese investment, which will open doors to cooperation with companies and enhance both trade and knowledge. Saudi is also China’s largest trading partner in West Asia.
Brown Li, a Chinese instructor, claimed that Chinese is one of the six official languages at the UN and is spoken by 20 per cent of the world population.
“More and more students are learning Chinese. As President Xi Jinping says, language is the best key to understanding a country,” he added.
