WHY IS ARABIC LANGUAGE FALLING IN 2025

There are genuine concerns in 2025 and ongoing about a weakening or declining status of the Arabic language (or aspects of its use) in certain contexts. It doesn’t mean the language is disappearing — Arabic remains one of the world’s major languages — but the nature of “use”, “status”, “education”, and “transmission” are changing. Below is a breakdown of why this is happening (with evidence), followed by implications. If you like, I can also look into where Arabic is still strong or growing (so you get a fuller picture).

✅ Evidence that Arabic is under pressure

Here are some of the indicators:

A survey by Al Habtoor Research Centre found that a large share of respondents (45 %) in Arab contexts identified globalisation as a main source of threat to Arabic. 91 % believed decline of Arabic could affect the economy. Al Habtoor Research Centre
A study titled “From Causes to Remedial Attempts: The Phenomenon of Aversion to Learning and Using the Arabic Language” (2025) reports a decline in enthusiasm for learning and using Arabic — especially in educational contexts. Posthumanism
Reports highlight that Arabic, especially the formal version (Modern Standard Arabic – MSA), is being used less in media, in everyday informal contexts, and is losing ground to dialects + other languages. For example, one article notes the “dominance of colloquial Arabic … and the decline of MSA in radio and television programs”. Powertech Journal+2imcra-az.org+2
A report by ICESCO (Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) with the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language launched “The Status of Arabic Language Education in the World” (Feb 2025) which reflects concerns about Arabic teaching abroad. ICESCO
In non-Arabic speaking countries, Arabic is often taught less, and the methods/curricula are weaker, which undercuts its global spread. Posthumanism+1
One piece mentions how in the Gulf (UAE among others) young people or multilingual families use English predominantly and Arabic less, especially socially or at home. The National

🔍 Why is Arabic facing challenges?

Here are key reasons why the decline (or weakening) is occurring:

1. Globalisation & dominance of other languages

English (and other foreign languages) have become dominant in business, higher education, technology, and popular media. Arabic often loses out. Linguavoyage+2Linguavoyage+2
Because English is seen as the language of opportunity, many young people or families shift to English for education or work, reducing the incentive to use Arabic extensively.

2. Educational system & curriculum issues

Teaching of Arabic (especially MSA) is often criticized for being outdated, relying on rote memorisation rather than active communication skills, and lacking modern teaching methods. Posthumanism+1
In many Arab countries, other subjects (science, technology, business) are taught in English, which sidelines Arabic as the medium of instruction. Linguavoyage
In non-Arab countries where Arabic is taught as a foreign language, the number of institutions, quality of teaching, and depth of instruction are limited. The ICESCO report highlights this. ICESCO

3. Sociolinguistic factors / identity & modernity

There’s a shift in how younger generations view Arabic: some feel that Arabic (especially the formal register) is less relevant socially, or even a barrier to assimilation. One article: “Grammar mistakes were met with scorn … many children … turn away from Arabic altogether or use it as little as possible.” The National
The existence of many Arabic dialects + the diglossia (difference between formal MSA and spoken dialects) creates complexity. Some feel formal Arabic is less usable socially. Powertech Journal+1

4. Media, technology & digital representation

Arabic lags in digital and AI contexts: e.g., lack of large, clean datasets for AI, challenges in dialect vs MSA, meaning Arabic content is under-represented. Welo Data
If media, technology, and digital life use fewer Arabic resources or favour other languages, younger people may drift away from Arabic in practice.

5. Policy & institutional support

Some countries may not prioritise Arabic sufficiently in their educational policies, or may allow other languages to dominate instruction. For example, one context described the Arabic programme in Madrid (Spain) being reportedly ended. Morocco World News
There is a call for more investment in Arabic teaching, teacher training, curriculum reform. The studies above emphasise that lack of resources and outdated methods hamper Arabic’s vitality. imcra-az.org

🧭 Implications for your context (training centre, education counselling)

Since you run a training centre and counsel students in foreign languages (French, German, Spanish, Arabic, etc) and foreign education, this decline has real implications:

For learners: Arabic faces challenges, but also opportunities. Because fewer high-quality programmes may be available, you might face higher demand for well-structured Arabic courses. Emphasising modern teaching methods could give your centre a competitive edge.
For career prospects: If Arabic use is declining in some settings, you’ll need to help students understand where Arabic still matters (e.g., Arabic-speaking countries, diplomacy, cultural institutions, media, translation, Islamic studies) and how they can maintain proficiency.
For curriculum & marketing: Emphasise the relevance of Arabic—not just as a heritage or religious language, but as a language of culture, geopolitics, business in the Middle East/North Africa. Also highlight that because there’s less supply of high-quality Arabic instruction, there is a niche.
For advising students: If a student plans to study/work in the Arab world (or on cruise lines, hospitality, HR etc), you should highlight the reality: Many younger Arabs are proficient in English; Arabic may give you an edge, but you may also need to support learning of Arabic dialects or functional Arabic.
For institutional partnerships: If you plan to partner with Arabic-speaking countries/universities, you might face issues of language of instruction, level of Arabic required, recognition of programmes, and teaching methods.

⚠️ Important caveats

“Decline” does not mean Arabic is unimportant. It remains one of the most widely spoken languages globally. For example, one source says Arabic is ranked 5th globally in number of speakers. Elkhabariya Newspaper
The decline is uneven: It depends on region, socio-economic class, education system, generation, exposure to other languages, etc.
Some contexts show initiative and revival. For example, Arabic-AI tools and programmes aimed at strengthening Arabic. Arab News
Some of the “decline” is more about formal/institutional use (MSA, in schools, media) rather than the spoken everyday Arabic dialects.

🎯 My Take

In short: yes — the Arabic language is experiencing structural and functional weakening in certain domains (education, media, formal use, among younger generations or in multilingual societies) in 2025. The main drivers: dominance of English/global languages, weak teaching policies, social attitudes, digital representation, and generational shift.

For you, as someone working in languages and education: This means you might want to reevaluate how you teach Arabic (focus on functional use, modern pedagogy, dialect vs MSA), market it (emphasise the specific contexts where it's valuable), and advise students realistically about what level of Arabic is needed for their goals and where it gives them an edge.

If you like, I can gather data for the next 5-10 years projecting how Arabic’s use may change (by region: Gulf, North Africa, diaspora) and provide recommendations on how your training centre can adapt (e.g., Arabic + English bilingual programmes, Arabic for business, Arabic digital literacy). Would you like me to pull that for you?

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