German Education Cooperation

German language gains importance in Qatar

In 2023, German was introduced as a second foreign language in state schools in Qatar. Qatari students have attended a Goethe-Institute summer camp in Germany now for the first time.

Group of Qatari students with supervisors and teachers from the Goethe-Institut Munich. | © Hescham Mohammed

In July, the still young German language program in the GCC state Qatar celebrated a premiere: Eleven Qatari students in grades 10 and 11 and three chaperones traveled to Munich to attend an exclusive summer camp for four weeks. For most of the students, it was their first visit to Germany.
The organizers, the Goethe-Institute Gulf Region and the Qatari Ministry of Education, thus underscored their joint commitment to promoting the German language in the Qatari education system and the intercultural exchange between Qatar and Germany.
For two years now, the Qatari Ministry of Education, with the support of the Goethe-Institute Gulf Region, has been introducing German as a second foreign language in state schools in Qatar. Pilot lessons were taught in boys' schools; from the coming school year, German lessons are to be extended to girls' schools as well. To foster the students’ interest in learning the German language, summer camps organized by Goethe-Institute are to be part of the annual program.

Germany in Qatar: Introduction of the German language in public schools as part of the Qatar National Vision 2030

As part of the Qatari National Vision 2030, the Qatari government is introducing selected foreign languages at its government schools. German is one of the languages to be offered. German language classes have been part of the curriculum at only one school in Doha, the Tarek bin Ziad Secondary School for Boys, a member of the PASCH Schools initiative of the Goethe-Institut Gulf Region.

The Hassan bin Thabit Secondary School for Boys in Doha, under Principal Ahmed Jusef Al Mahmoud, has now taken on a pioneering role for the 2023/24 school year: it is the first school
within the new education initiative to offer German as a foreign language. Four more schools – including girls’ schools – are set to follow in 2024.

Einführung Deutsch als Fremdsprache — An der Hassan bin Thabit School soll im kommenden Jahr schon ab Klassenstufe 9 Deutsch unterrichtet werden. | © Goethe-Institut Gulf Region

The inauguration ceremony of the German language program that took place on 23.11.2023 witnessed the attendance of the German Ambassador Lothar Freischlader, Cultural Attaché Kerstin Vaessen, the representative of the Qatari Ministry of Education and Higher Education Nadeya Shamlan as well as the Goethe-Institut Gulf Region, being the German expert authority on German language instruction, represented by the Director of the institute, Gabriele Becker and the Director of the Language Department Svea Lang.

The language skills of the newcomers to German were impressive despite the only few lessons they studied. This is indeed a credit not only to the diligence of the pupils, but also certainly to the experience of German teacher Hesham Ibrahim. The students were rewarded with a donation of books from the Goethe-Institut for the school library. The Goethe-Institut Gulf Region is looking forward to offer further support!