Arabization Coordination Bureau

The Arabization Coordination Bureau (Arabic: مكتب تنسيق التعريب) is a specialized institution headquartered in Rabat, Morocco, dedicated to coordinating Arab efforts to modernize and unify the Arabic language, particularly in the fields of scientific and cultural terminology. It operates under the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), which was established in 1970 as a specialized agency of the Arab League. The Bureau's origins trace back to the first Arabization Conference held in Rabat in 1961, which recommended the creation of a dedicated body to coordinate terminology work across Arab states. Its first executive council session took place in Rabat on 19 February 1962, and in March 1969 it was attached to the Secretariat-General of the Arab League. When ALECSO was founded in July 1970, the Bureau was transferred to it in May 1972, then known as the Permanent Bureau for the Coordination of Arabization in the Arab World. Its internal regulations were approved by ALECSO's Executive Council in 1973, and its organizational structure was endorsed in 1998. The Bureau's core mission is to coordinate efforts to enrich Arabic with modern terminology, unify scientific and cultural terms across the Arab world, and support the use of Arabic in education, cultural institutions, and media. It monitors the work of language academies and scientific bodies, organizes periodic Arabization conferences, and produces specialized dictionaries and terminological databases. Over more than five decades, it has published numerous lexicographic works and sought to create unified Arabic dictionaries and encyclopedias with foreign-language entries. The Bureau also maintains a terminology database to store, classify, and exchange terms with specialized banks. Governance of the Bureau has been led by a series of directors, beginning with Dr. Abdelaziz Benabdellah (1961–1983), followed by Dr. El Mahdi El Dilero (1982–1985), Dr. Mustapha Benkhalef (1986), Dr. Abdeljalil Belhaj (1986–1990), Dr. Ahmed Chahlan (1990–1995), Dr. Abbas Mohamed Al-Souri (1997–2007), Dr. Miloud Habibi (2008–2012), Dr. Abdelfattah El Hajmri (2012–2024), and currently Prof. Mourad El-Rifai since 14 October 2024. The Bureau has an advisory scientific council, first established in 1973, which was suspended in 1983 and later reconstituted in 1999; its first session under the new framework was held in Rabat in February 2002, followed by sessions in Tripoli (2004) and Amman (2007). The Bureau remains an active institution within the ALECSO framework, continuing its work on terminology unification, lexicography, and the promotion of Arabic in scientific and cultural life. Its website, arabization.org.ma, serves as a portal for its publications and activities.

The idea of establishing the Arabization Coordination Bureau emerged within the framework of a specialized Arab body concerned with coordinating Arab efforts to Arabize modern terminology and to promote the use of Arabic in public life, education, and cultural and scientific activities. The first Arabization Conference, held in Rabat in 1961, recommended its creation. In implementation of these recommendations, the first session of its Executive Council was held in Rabat on 19 February 1962. In March 1969, the Bureau was attached to the Secretariat-General of the Arab League. When the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO) was established as a specialized agency within the Arab League in July 1970, the Bureau was transferred to it in May 1972, then known as the Permanent Bureau for the Coordination of Arabization in the Arab World. Its internal regulations were approved by ALECSO's Executive Council at its eighth session held in Cairo from 27 January to 3 February 1973. In accordance with ALECSO Executive Council decisions at its sixty-fourth session in 1996 regarding the study of the conditions of the organization's external bodies and the evaluation of their performance, the Bureau's organizational structure was approved at the sixty-seventh session of the Executive Council in 1998. The Bureau's objectives include coordinating efforts to expand the use of Arabic in teaching at all levels and in cultural institutions and media; monitoring the Arabization movement and the development of scientific and cultural Arabic within and outside the Arab world by collecting and publishing relevant studies; coordinating efforts to enrich Arabic with modern terminology and to unify scientific and cultural terminology; and preparing for periodic Arabization conferences. Its tasks include coordinating terminology unification, tracking the research of language and scientific academies, strengthening cooperation with Arab and international specialized bodies, preparing specialized lexicographic projects approved by Arabization conferences, creating a terminological database, and publishing scientific work in the field of Arabization. The Bureau has been led by a succession of directors: Dr. Abdelaziz Benabdellah (3 July 1961 – 27 November 1983), Dr. El Mahdi El Dilero (1 January 1982 – 31 December 1985), Dr. Mustapha Benkhalef (1 January 1986 – 30 June 1986), Dr. Abdeljalil Belhaj (1 July 1986 – 31 August 1990), Dr. Ahmed Chahlan (31 August 1990 – 31 March 1995), Dr. Abbas Mohamed Al-Souri (19 February 1997 – 31 December 2007), Dr. Miloud Habibi (1 January 2008 – 31 June 2012), Dr. Abdelfattah El Hajmri (1 July 2012 – 13 October 2024), and Prof. Mourad El-Rifai (since 14 October 2024). The Bureau has an advisory scientific council, provided for in its internal regulations approved in 1973, composed of lexicographers and eminent scientific figures. It met at least once a year to consider topics presented by the Bureau and the Director-General of ALECSO. Due to material reasons, its work was suspended in 1983. When ALECSO established its advisory committee in 1991, it offered some advice to the Bureau but then ceased. In 1999, the Director-General of ALECSO decided to form scientific advisory councils for external centers, in accordance with the 1998 Executive Council decision. The Bureau's Scientific Advisory Council held its first session in Rabat in February 2002, its second in Tripoli, Libya, in 2004, and its third in Amman, Jordan, in 2007. The Bureau's lexicographic and terminological work falls within the comprehensive Arabization plan, through which it carries out lexicographic and linguistic work according to laws governing its scientific operation and specific methodologies it sets for itself through its scientific council.

• 2024

  Prof. Mourad El-Rifai becomes Director on 14 October.

• 2007

  Third session of the Scientific Advisory Council held in Amman, Jordan.

• 2004

  Second session of the Scientific Advisory Council held in Tripoli, Libya.

• 2002

  First session of the Bureau's Scientific Advisory Council held in Rabat in February.

• 1999

  ALECSO Director-General decides to form scientific advisory councils for external centers.

• 1998

  ALECSO Executive Council approves the Bureau's organizational structure at its 67th session.

• 1991

  ALECSO establishes its advisory committee, which offers advice to the Bureau.

• 1983

  Advisory scientific council work suspended due to material reasons.

• 1973

  Internal regulations approved by ALECSO Executive Council in Cairo (27 January – 3 February).

• 1972

  Bureau transferred to ALECSO in May, renamed Permanent Bureau for the Coordination of Arabization in the Arab World.

• 1970

  ALECSO established as a specialized agency of the Arab League in July.

• 1969

  Bureau attached to the Secretariat-General of the Arab League in March.

• 1962

  First session of the Executive Council held in Rabat on 19 February.

• 1961

  First Arabization Conference held in Rabat recommends creation of a coordination body.

A specialized intergovernmental body coordinating the unification and modernization of Arabic scientific and cultural terminology across the Arab world.

• Specialized lexicographic dictionaries

  Dictionaries prepared according to projects approved by Arabization conferences.

• Terminology database

  A database for storing, classifying, and exchanging terms with specialized banks.

• Arabization conference proceedings

  Published outcomes of periodic Arabization conferences.

1. 1Arabization Coordination Bureau - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2مكتب تنسيق التعريب - Wikipediaar.wikipedia.org