QatarDebate Centre will kick off on Saturday, May 25, the 7th International Universities Debating Championship, one of the largest international Arabic debate competitions that gathers students from around the globe.

The tournament, conducted entirely in Arabic, will be held at the Qatar National Convention Center, with the participation of over 600 debaters and judges from more than 50 countries and 100 universities.

During the debates, the participants will touch on a range of contemporary topics of interest to Arab youth, including social justice, economic development, and environmental sustainability. Over 80 Qatar-based judges, more than 45 international adjudicators, and 150 volunteers from various specializations, backgrounds, and nationalities will participate in the tournament.

Commenting on the importance of organizing the Championship in Arabic, Mohamad Salman Mohamad Ali, Head of Arabic Programs said: “We host this event to build bridges of communication between students from different parts of the world, encourage dialogue, and create opportunities for participants to meet and exchange experiences.”

He further added, “Moreover, we promote debating in Arabic to raise its status as an enriching cultural mediator and encourage the youth to engage in constructive dialogue about the most important global changes and contemporary issues.”

Outlining the criteria to select the teams, Ali explained: “The 7th edition of the tournament is distinguished by the fact that it brings together the best teams that emerged from national tournaments held in several countries under the supervision of the QatarDebate Center. Thus, the teams representing each country qualified based on their outstanding performance.

“Organizing these national championships represents a pioneering step in international debating circles cementing QatarDebate Center’s standing as a nucleus of Arabic debate centers and clubs globally,” he added.

Seven teams from Qatar-based universities, including Qatar University, the University of Doha for Science and Technology, Texas A&M University at Qatar, Georgetown University in Qatar, Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, Lusail University, and the Police Academy, will be participating in this year’s edition.

The championship, organized in partnership with Doha Forum, Al Jazeera Media Institute, Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s Translation and Interpretation Institute, and Doha International Family Institute, will last for five days. The top teams and best individual speakers will be recognized during the closing ceremony on Wednesday, May 29.

For more details about the competition, please visit: https://qatardebate.org/international-events/iudcs/.