Dorren says Arabic and English are similar Silvia Razgova / The National
Dorren says Arabic and English are similar Silvia Razgova / The National

Illiteracy in Arab world can be a dangerous tool, experts say



Illiteracy in the Arab world can be a dangerous instrument for the region's safety, experts have said as they seek to tackle the root of the issue.
They said more work is needed across various fields to bring the region's youth up to par with their peers' education.
"There are tens of millions of students who are suffering without education," said Michael O'Neill, assistant secretary-general at the United Nations and director of External Relations and Advocacy at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

“There are huge numbers of young people in this region which is fantastic for the potential and capacity that offers the future but it also creates a challenge - how can governments work with the private sector and organisations like UNDP to help ensure there are opportunities for education, employment, women, men and what needs to be done to address that in terms of policies and regulatory framework? It seems to me we have to work together across all of those areas if we’re going to tackle those challenges.”

According to Unesco, 25 per cent of Egyptians and 20 per cent of Iraqis are illiterate - a rate worse than those of countries such as Sri Lanka and Kazakhstan.
"It's culture," said Dr Hany Torky, chief technical adviser at the UNDP. "If you have a family and no money, the father will send his children to work and not to school. Sometimes even at the same time. So if we imagine a new solution, we can solve this problem."
He suggested night schools for children who cannot afford to stop working, for a few hours every evening.

“The so-called Arab Spring made it worse but the problem was always there,” he said. “We talk about knowledge and the fourth industrial revolution but we need to solve the basis of the problem first because it will divide societies into two parts and this gap is growing because of conflicts.”

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Read more:

National Editorial: Now it's time to create a truly literate society

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Illiteracy is particularly dangerous when children are lured into extremist groups, such as Al Shabab, Al Qaeda and ISIL.

"One of the areas UNDP has done a lot of work recently is around challenges that draw young men towards violent extremism," Mr O'Neill said. "We launched in September a major report based on a two-year study done around these challenges in Africa and it was based on interviews with several hundred men attached to different movements."
The report showed that young men felt alienated from society and the government. "There may be some common elements [in the Middle East] so there's a fundamental point of good governance which is a foundation for good progress in any area," Mr O'Neill said.

"Building effective institutions able to deliver better services including education is the foundation of all the work we need to do together for sustainable development and to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The shift to a knowledge-based economy is the ultimate destination but the question is what steps can we take to get there - the UAE is on the right path but other countries are much less advanced," he said.
According to Reem Marto, head of the Middle East and North Africa at Teach For All, the problem is global. "Every child is born with enormous potential," she said. "But around the world, millions of children can only dream of realising that potential, simply because of where they were born or how much their family earns. The obstacles they face, from poverty, hunger, discrimination, trauma, to school systems that do not provide them with the education they need to thrive, are overwhelming." 
She said the root causes of inequity were both entrenched and complex. "No single solution can address the multiple factors that contribute to this inequity," Ms Marto said. "We need many people pioneering many solutions and working together to change the status quo. We believe that local and regional authorities and policymakers can foster such an environment by investing in the leadership necessary to reshape education systems, strengthen the broader set of services that support healthy development, and challenge the systemic and social injustices that perpetuate inequity."
The global network of 46 independent, locally led and governed partner organisations works to accelerate the progress.

"Each network partner recruits and develops promising future leaders to teach in their nations' under-resourced schools and communities and, with this foundation, to work with others, inside and outside of education, to ensure all children are able to fulfil their potential," Ms Marto said. "One such programme is Teach For Lebanon. To date Teach For Lebanon has received more than 2,500 applications and fielded more than 100 teaching participants in rural areas. These teachers, as well as now 60 programme alumni, have helped expand opportunity for over 12,700 children - including orphans, street children, Syrian and Palestinian  refugees - whose futures are clouded by social and economic factors."
To address the significant number of Syrian refugees, Teach For Lebanon has partnered with several charities, including the UK-based TheirWorld, and has collaborated with Ana Aqra's Children's Literacy Centre, to educate out-of-school children.

“Teach For Lebanon has also prioritised an instructional focus on global citizenship and democracy as a way to empower students,” she said. “Teach For All is also working with several social entrepreneurs in countries across the region to explore the development of new organisations that can channel their countries’ outstanding talent towards ensuring all children have the opportunity to fulfil their potential," Ms Marto said.

“The greatest problem we see is that children do not have access to the kind of education, support, and opportunity that will equip them to not only navigate the world they’ll inherit but lead it. But it is going to take an enormous amount of leadership capacity to tackle this [and we must] prioritise the cultivation of this collective leadership throughout the region and channel the energy of these diverse, outstanding graduates and professionals toward this.”

if you go

The flights

Etihad, Emirates and Singapore Airlines fly direct from the UAE to Singapore from Dh2,265 return including taxes. The flight takes about 7 hours.

The hotel

Rooms at the M Social Singapore cost from SG $179 (Dh488) per night including taxes.

The tour

Makan Makan Walking group tours costs from SG $90 (Dh245) per person for about three hours. Tailor-made tours can be arranged. For details go to www.woknstroll.com.sg

The Brutalist

Director: Brady Corbet

Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn

Rating: 3.5/5

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

Sreesanth's India bowling career

Tests 27, Wickets 87, Average 37.59, Best 5-40

ODIs 53, Wickets 75, Average 33.44, Best 6-55

T20Is 10, Wickets 7, Average 41.14, Best 2-12

The Bio

Favourite holiday destination: Either Kazakhstan or Montenegro. I’ve been involved in events in both countries and they are just stunning.

Favourite book: I am a huge of Robin Cook’s medical thrillers, which I suppose is quite apt right now. My mother introduced me to them back home in New Zealand.

Favourite film or television programme: Forrest Gump is my favourite film, that’s never been up for debate. I love watching repeats of Mash as well.

Inspiration: My late father moulded me into the man I am today. I would also say disappointment and sadness are great motivators. There are times when events have brought me to my knees but it has also made me determined not to let them get the better of me.

The specs
 
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
The specs

Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6

Power: 400hp

Torque: 475Nm

Transmission: 9-speed automatic

Price: From Dh215,900

On sale: Now

While you're here
WWE Evolution results
  • Trish Stratus and Lita beat Alicia Fox and Mickie James in a tag match
  • Nia Jax won a battle royal, eliminating Ember Moon last to win
  • Toni Storm beat Io Shirai to win the Mae Young Classic
  • Natalya, Sasha Banks and Bayley beat The Riott Squad in a six-woman tag match​​​​​​​
  • Shayna Baszler won the NXT Women’s title by defeating Kairi Sane
  • Becky Lynch retained the SmackDown Women’s Championship against Charlotte Flair in a Last Woman Standing match
  • Ronda Rousey retained the Raw Women’s title by beating Nikki Bella
The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
How to avoid crypto fraud
  • Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
  • Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
  • Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
  • Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
  • Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
  • Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
  • Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Brief scores:

​​​​​​Toss: Pakhtunkhwa Zalmi, chose to field

​Environment Agency: 193-3 (20 ov)
Ikhlaq 76 not out, Khaliya 58, Ahsan 55

Pakhtunkhwa Zalmi: 194-2 (18.3 ov)
Afridi 95 not out, Sajid 55, Rizwan 36 not out

Result: Pakhtunkhwa won by 8 wickets

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20PlanRadar%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2013%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-founders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EIbrahim%20Imam%2C%20Sander%20van%20de%20Rijdt%2C%20Constantin%20K%C3%B6ck%2C%20Clemens%20Hammerl%2C%20Domagoj%20Dolinsek%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVienna%2C%20Austria%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EConstruction%20and%20real%20estate%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E400%2B%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeries%20B%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Headline%2C%20Berliner%20Volksbank%20Ventures%2C%20aws%20Gr%C3%BCnderfonds%2C%20Cavalry%20Ventures%2C%20Proptech1%2C%20Russmedia%2C%20GR%20Capital%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Married Malala

Malala Yousafzai is enjoying married life, her father said.

The 24-year-old married Pakistan cricket executive Asser Malik last year in a small ceremony in the UK.

Ziauddin Yousafzai told The National his daughter was ‘very happy’ with her husband.

Sukuk explained

Sukuk are Sharia-compliant financial certificates issued by governments, corporates and other entities. While as an asset class they resemble conventional bonds, there are some significant differences. As interest is prohibited under Sharia, sukuk must contain an underlying transaction, for example a leaseback agreement, and the income that is paid to investors is generated by the underlying asset. Investors must also be prepared to share in both the profits and losses of an enterprise. Nevertheless, sukuk are similar to conventional bonds in that they provide regular payments, and are considered less risky than equities. Most investors would not buy sukuk directly due to high minimum subscriptions, but invest via funds.

if you go

The flights
Flydubai offers three daily direct flights to Sarajevo and, from June, a daily flight from Thessaloniki from Dubai. A return flight costs from Dhs1,905 including taxes.
The trip 
The Travel Scientists are the organisers of the Balkan Ride and several other rallies around the world. The 2018 running of this particular adventure will take place from August 3-11, once again starting in Sarajevo and ending a week later in Thessaloniki. If you’re driving your own vehicle, then entry start from €880 (Dhs 3,900) per person including all accommodation along the route. Contact the Travel Scientists if you wish to hire one of their vehicles. 

Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
Rating: 4/5