Arabic Language Academy in Sharjah

What Arabic Language Academy in Sharjah does

The Arabic Language Academy in Sharjah is a government academic institution established by Amiri Decree No. 96 of 2016 under the patronage of Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah. Headquartered in University City, Sharjah, the Academy is tasked with preserving the integrity of the Arabic language, supporting Arabic linguistic research, and coordinating the work of Arab and Islamic linguistic and scientific academies. Its flagship output is the Historical Arabic Dictionary, a 127-volume work compiled with the participation of 13 countries that tracks Arabic vocabulary, semantics, and etymology across 16 centuries of written usage, recognized by Guinness World Records as the largest historical linguistic project in the world and made accessible globally through the Al-Mojam.org digital platform.

The Academy's operational portfolio spans scholarly publishing (a monthly peer-reviewed magazine, encyclopedias, and a humanities journal), the annual Sharjah Prize for Linguistic and Lexicographic Studies (awarding $30,000 and $20,000 across two tracks), a research library of over 3,000 titles across 35 branches of knowledge, and the Center for the Arabic Tongue, which delivers free remote Arabic language courses to non-native speakers. Its go-to-market centers on event-led engagement: international conferences (including the annual conference for European Arabists and Orientalists), linguistic councils, book fair participation, and the establishment of physical Arabic Language Halls at international universities such as the University of Salamanca.

The institution is funded through annual allocations from the Sharjah government budget rather than commercial revenue. Its customers in an operational sense include academics, linguists, and researchers across the Arab and Islamic world, international universities seeking Arabic teaching partnerships, and student delegations from Europe and Asia. No AI or commercial-grade technology platform has been disclosed; the underlying technology consists of a computational database supporting the Historical Arabic Dictionary project and a public-facing digital dictionary portal.

Name

Arabic Language Academy in Sharjah

Legal name

Arabic Language Academy in Sharjah (مجمع اللغة العربية بالشارقة)

Website

https://alashj.ae

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Arabic Language Academy in Sharjah is a government academic institution established in 2016 under Sharjah's ruler to preserve the Arabic language through research, publishing, and education. It produces the 127-volume Historical Arabic Dictionary, a monthly magazine, an annual linguistic prize, and Arabic language courses for international audiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic and Linguistic Research Services

NAICS

Language Schools (611630), Language Schools (61163), Educational Support Services (611710), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAMAFAA

General Language Schools & Institutes

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Language Learning & Conversation Programs

SECONDARYEDAGAAAC

World Languages & Bilingual/ESL (K–12) Materials

Education/Educational Publishing & Learning Content/K–12 Curriculum & Textbooks

Keywords

• Arabic language preservation
• Historical lexicography
• Linguistic research
• Academic publishing
• Language education

Headquarters

HQ city

Sharjah

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: As a government academic institution under the Emirate of Sharjah, the Academy is funded through annual allocations from the Sharjah government budget, as established by Amiri Decree No. 96 of 2016.
2. Publications and Magazine Sales: The Academy generates revenue from publishing activities including its monthly academic magazine, research publications, and potentially the sale or licensing of the Historical Arabic Dictionary. The Academy issues language dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a peer-reviewed journal in humanities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Arabic Language Academy in Sharjah is a government academic institution that preserves, researches, and promotes the Arabic language through scholarly publications, lexicographic projects, conferences, and educational programs. Its primary offering is the 127-volume Historical Arabic Dictionary (المعجم التاريخي للغة العربية), recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's largest historical linguistic project, alongside a monthly peer-reviewed journal, the annual Sharjah Prize, the Center for the Arabic Tongue offering free remote Arabic courses for non-native speakers, and the coordination of the Union of Arab Linguistic and Scientific Academies.

Product overview

The Arabic Language Academy in Sharjah operates as a unified institutional portfolio centered on Arabic language preservation, research, and education. The core offerings include the Al-Mujam Al-Tarikhi (Historical Dictionary of Arabic Language) in 127 volumes as the flagship lexicographic project, complemented by the Academy's monthly peer-reviewed Magazine covering linguistic studies. The Academy administers the Sharjah Prize for Linguistic and Lexicographic Studies to recognize excellence in Arabic scholarship, and operates the Center for the Arabic Tongue offering distance language courses for non-native speakers. Additional services include the Academy Library with over 3,000 specialized titles, the Linguistic Council hosting scholarly discussions, and the Union of Arabic Language Academies facilitating regional cooperation. International engagement is supported through facilities like the Arabic Language Hall at University of Salamanca and participation in global cultural events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Al-Mujam Al-Tarikhi (The Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language) A comprehensive 127-volume historical dictionary of the Arabic language documenting the evolution of Arabic terminology, word origins, semantic development, and etymology across 16 centuries of written usage, covering Quranic, hadith, poetry, and classical texts. Recognized by Guinness World Records as the largest historical linguistic project in the world, and accessible globally via the Al-Mojam.org digital platform. Targeted at scholars, researchers, lexicographers, and academic institutions.
• Magazine of the Arabic Language Academy in Sharjah Monthly peer-reviewed magazine featuring linguistic studies, Arabic language research, lexicographic studies, literary criticism, and academic articles on Arabic language, grammar, rhetoric, and semantics. Targeted at scholars, researchers, and the broader Arabic language academic community.
• Sharjah Prize for Linguistic and Lexicographic Studies Annual award program recognizing outstanding research in Arabic linguistics and lexicography, awarding four winners across two tracks (Linguistic Studies and Lexicographic Studies) with first place receiving USD 30,000 and second place receiving USD 20,000. Targeted at scholars and researchers worldwide working in Arabic linguistics and lexicography.
• Center of the Arabic Tongue (Markaz al-Lisan al-Arabi) Remote Arabic Courses Educational center within the Academy offering free 60-day remote Arabic language courses for non-native speakers, designed to help learners develop Arabic language skills, grammar, and expression. Targeted at non-native Arabic learners globally, particularly those from European and Asian institutions.
• Comprehensive Arabic Encyclopedia (الموسوعة العربية الشاملة) A comprehensive Arabic encyclopedia covering language, literature, arts, and sciences, being developed with the participation of scholars from more than 20 countries under the direction of Sheikh Sultan Al Qasimi. Targeted at researchers, academics, and educational institutions across the Arab world and beyond.
• Academy Library A specialized research library containing over 3,000 titles across 35 branches of knowledge, focusing on Arabic linguistics, grammar, rhetoric, Quranic studies, Hadith, jurisprudence, history, and literature. Established under the patronage of Sheikh Sultan Al Qasimi. Targeted at researchers, scholars, and academic visitors.
• Linguistic Council (المجلس اللغوي) Regular recurring scholarly gatherings featuring academic presentations and discussions on Arabic language topics, manuscript research, Arabic contributions to sciences, and linguistic studies, with guest scholars and researchers. Targeted at the Arabic scholarly community, linguists, and researchers.
• Union of Arabic Language and Scientific Academies Coordination A coordination body connecting Arabic language academies and scientific institutions across Arab and Islamic countries, facilitating collaborative linguistic research and academic cooperation under the Academy's umbrella. Targeted at member linguistic academies and scientific institutions across the Arab world.

Quantifiable outcome

• Largest historical dictionary project in the world — 127 volumes recognized by Guinness World Records
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• University of Salamanca (Spain)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 May 2026The Academy signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Salamanca to open the 'Sharjah Hall for Arabic Language' at the university, providing books, publications, and specialized training programs to support Arabic language education for non-native speakers. The University of Salamanca, founded in 1215, is one of Europe's oldest universities with a long tradition in teaching Arabic.
• Italian Cultural Institute of Arabic Studies / Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, MilansecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 April 2026The Academy participated in the 9th International Arabic Language and Culture Festival in Milan, organized in cooperation with the Italian Cultural Institute of Arabic Studies and the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan, under the patronage of the Sharjah Book Authority.
• Council of the Arabic Tongue in Mauritania (مجلس اللسان العربي بموريتانيا)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 October 2017The Academy supported the establishment of the Council of the Arabic Tongue in Mauritania, which was inaugurated on October 10, 2017 in Nouakchott under the patronage of Sultan Al Qasimi. The Council aims to promote Arabic language use nationally and within African nations, develop Arabic teaching methodologies, and support the Arab linguistic community. It is led by Dr. Al-Khalil Al-Nahawi.
• King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Center for the Arabic Language (مركز الملك عبدالله بن عبد العزيز الدولي لخدمة اللغة العربية)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2017A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Academy and the King Abdullah Center in Riyadh to coordinate on Arabic language preservation, promote Arabic in educational institutions, and collaborate on linguistic projects. Both institutions share a common Arab linguistic identity and commitment to serving the Arabic language.
• Youssef Al-Khalifa Center for Writing African Languages in Arabic Script (مركز يوسف الخليفة)secondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017A memorandum of understanding was signed between the Academy and the Youssef Al-Khalifa Center at the International Africa University to translate the 29th part of the Quran into four African languages (Hausa, Fulani, Swahili, and Somali) using Arabic script, under the direct patronage of Sultan Al Qasimi.
• Union of Arab Linguistic and Scientific Academies (اتحاد المجامع اللغوية والعلمية العربية)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Academy serves as a key member and supporter of the Union of Arab Linguistic and Scientific Academies, coordinating efforts among all Arab linguistic academies. Sultan Al Qasimi is a member of the Union's Supreme Council and has announced financial endowments to support Arab academies.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Duolingo: Global consumer language-learning platform with a sizeable Arabic course catalogue. While not a direct institutional peer, it competes for the same mass-market learner demand that the Academy's free courses and university language halls target.

Emerging players

• Al Multaqa (Arabic Language Forum): Digital Arabic language and content platform operating as a community for Arabic linguists, writers, and researchers. Emerging digital complement/competitor to traditional linguistic academies for Arabic scholarly community engagement.
• Bayyinah Institute: US-based Arabic language and Quranic Arabic education provider offering structured online Arabic courses to global learners. Represents the digital-first, learner-direct model against which traditional academies compete for Arabic language students.

Regional players

• Institut Français du Proche-Orient (IFPO): French research institution with a long history of Arabic linguistic, historical, and humanistic research in the Levant. Comparable as a research-driven Arabic scholarship organization, though based in Europe and focused on social sciences more broadly.

Direct peers

• Al-Mawrid Arab Center for Research and Heritage: Iraqi academic center focused on Arabic language research, lexicography, and digital scholarly tools. Direct peer in Arabic content production and language research, including a digital platform comparable to Al-Mojam.org.
• Academy of the Arabic Language in Cairo: Founded in 1932 and the most established Arabic linguistic academy globally; issues authoritative Arabic dictionaries and terminology standards. Direct peer in lexicographic and academic mandate, with much longer institutional history.
• Jordan Academy of Arabic: Jordanian national academy engaged in Arabic language preservation, terminology, and research — a direct institutional peer and fellow Union of Arabic Language Academies member.
• King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Center for the Arabic Language: Saudi government-backed center in Riyadh with a near-identical mandate of Arabic language preservation, research, and international promotion. Closest direct peer to the Sharjah Academy, with whom it has a 2017 coordination MOU.
• Iraqi Academy of Sciences: National linguistic and scientific academy in Baghdad focused on Arabic language scholarship and scientific terminology. Direct member of the same Union of Arabic Language Academies that the Sharjah Academy coordinates.
• Arab Academy of Damascus: One of the older Arab linguistic academies with parallel responsibilities for Arabic lexicography, terminology, and grammar standardization. Direct institutional peer within the Union of Arabic Language Academies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Sharjah.ala
• Xx.com/shj_ala

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Arabic Language Academy in Sharjah