Under the patronage of His Excellency the President of King Khalid University, Professor Falleh bin Rajallah Alsolami, the university hosted the Second Educational Forum for Teaching Arabic to Non-Native Speakers, under the theme “Developing the Teaching of Arabic to Non-Native Speakers: Opportunities and Challenges.” The event was organized by the Department of Arabic Language Teaching for Non-Native Speakers at the College of Arts and Humanities, and held at the University Conference and Exhibition Center in Al-Faraa Campus.

This forum stems from the university’s strategic goal to enhance research and innovation, and reflects the department's commitment to aligning with the latest developments in education, while delivering high-quality programs and curricula.

The forum opened with a keynote speech by Dr. Khalid Saeed Abu Hikma, Dean of the College of Arts and Human Sciences. In his address, he welcomed guests and participants, describing them as a distinguished group of Arabic language experts and cultural ambassadors.

Dr. Abu Hikma emphasized that this second forum aims to serve as a platform for constructive dialogue, knowledge exchange, and the creation of new perspectives that enhance the methods of teaching Arabic to non-native speakers, meet the needs of educators, and strengthen the global presence of the Arabic language.

He further noted that the forum is not only a space for reflection and the exchange of expertise, but also a step toward shaping the future of Arabic language instruction through innovation, digital transformation, capacity-building, and strategic partnerships—ensuring long-term impact and continuous quality improvement in this vital field.

The forum also seeks to achieve key objectives, most notably encouraging research in Arabic language teaching methodologies. This includes evaluating current teaching practices and curricula, identifying strengths and areas for improvement, and exploring opportunities to enhance second language acquisition using advanced pedagogical strategies and technologies. It also addresses the major challenges facing the field, and presents innovative, culturally relevant solutions tailored to learners’ linguistic backgrounds.

The forum agenda continued with a visual presentation showcasing the participating research papers. A total of 24 papers were submitted from 9 departments representing 7 colleges and university entities.

The first session, titled “Employing Artificial Intelligence and E-Learning in Teaching Arabic to Non-Native Speakers,” was chaired by Dr. Adel bin Mohammed Asiri, and featured contributions from a number of academics and specialists. The second session, titled “Teaching Arabic to Non-Native Speakers: Curricula and Strategies,” was moderated by Dr. Ahmed bin Mosa Al-Masoudi. The third and final session, “Developing Teachers’ Skills and Learning Competencies,” concluded the forum.

His Excellency the University President concluded the event by honoring participating researchers and contributing departments.