Arabic Studies

Albabtain Leiden University Centre for Arabic Culture

The Albabtain Leiden University Centre for Arabic Culture organises public and scholarly events to promote the rich Arabic culture and to celebrate the long Leiden tradition of studying it in all its diverse expressions.

The Albabtain Leiden University Centre for Arabic Culture was founded on October 10, 2018 to develop a programme that brings together the Abdulaziz Saud Albabtain Cultural Foundation’s interest in supporting the study of Arabic literature and culture in institutions of higher education and the university’s long and rich tradition in the study of these fields.
The Centre organises scholarly conferences and workshops, public lectures, poetry readings and a summerschool on manuscripts from the Muslim world for junior scholars. Every year one or more Fellows are invited to teach master classes to Leiden students and give public lectures. The Centre works closely together with the University Library, and Leiden Museums in the organisation of its events.

A report on the festive opening of the centre featuring Arabic and Dutch poetry readings and speeches by Leiden and international scholars as well as representatives of the Abdulaziz Saud Albabtain Cultural Foundation can be found here.