‘Scan and Learn Arabic’ app launched by Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre

The Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), part of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), has helped develop an innovative new app that encourages the adoption and mastery of the Arabic language.

Users of smartphones and tablets can scan objects around the city, and the names of those objects are then translated into Arabic thanks to the “Scan and Learn Arabic” app, which was developed in association with Abu Dhabi’s Department of Community Development (DCD) and Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT).

The goal of the app is to help all government bodies to make a cohesive society, fostered via language learning. This also expands on ALC’s objectives to support Arabic by harnessing innovation, while ensuring the preservation of the language and its continued use in everyday society.

The app is available for free download on iOS and Android, and once installed, users may use the integrated optical reader to scan texts at important locations along the Abu Dhabi Corniche, the first of many places in the emirate to be included. This will make it easier for visitors and locals from all walks of life to learn Arabic and use it more frequently in daily life.

Dr Ali Bin Tamim, Chairman of the ALC said “We are dedicated to preserving the Arabic language as a core component of our Arab and Emirati culture and keep it unmistakably present in the everyday lives of all members of our community. This initiative allows us to make the most from advanced technologies in our efforts to advance the Arabic language, improve its proficiency among speakers, and cement its position as the primary language of use among native speakers while paving the way for non-native speakers to learn it.”