Qatar and Spain enhance ties with new initiatives in Arabic and Andalusian Studies

Qatar has announced the establishment of the Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani Chair for Teaching Arabic Language and Andalusian Heritage at the University of Granada, Spain. According to Doha News, the initiative aims to bolster the teaching of the Arabic language and promote Andalusian studies, offering scholarships for Arabic language studies at Qatar University during the 2024-2025 academic year.

The announcement was made during the inaugural Qatar-Spain Strategic Dialogue, attended by Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares. This dialogue also introduced a series of initiatives to enhance educational and cultural exchanges between the two countries.

Qatar has announced the establishment of the Sheikh @TamimBinHamad Al Thani Chair for Teaching Arabic Language and #Andalusian Heritage at the University of Granada (@CanalUGR) in #Spain.https://t.co/O7km89lBm1

— Doha News (@dohanews) June 23, 2024

Notably, Qatar Foundation and Albeniz Foundation have agreed to establish a Research Chair of Arabic and Eastern Music at the Reina Sofia School of Music.

In addition, earlier this month, the Sheikh Zayed Book Award (SZBA) organised a conference on the influence of ‘Arabian Nights’ in Spain, in collaboration with Casa Árabe in Madrid. The conference, titled ‘Arabian Nights: A Cultural Journey across Continents and Centuries,’ featured prominent speakers and academics discussing the profound impact of the tales on Spanish culture.

The event concluded with a concert by Lebanese artist Abeer Nehme, celebrating the enduring cultural ties between Spain and the Arab world, which are rooted in centuries of shared history, artistic exchanges, and mutual influence dating back to the era of Al-Andalus or Islamic Spain.

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