Abu Dhabi and Dubai, two important cities in the United Arab Emirates, with Abu Dhabi being the capital of the country, will host two new Spanish Language Schools at the University of Salamanca in the coming years.
In a recent pre-agreement signed this summer, it was established that, throughout the year 2024, all the necessary steps will be taken so that in the first quarter of 2025 the first ELE USAL School in the Middle East will open to the public in Dubai, followed by the opening from another School in Abu Dhabi in 2026. These two institutions will join the franchises that carry the prestigious seal of the University of Salamanca in the teaching of Spanish.
Nepalese businessmen D. Ramesh Pokhrel and D. Saroj Prasad Phuyal, together with Joshi Gokarna, current director of ELE USAL Bilbao, will be responsible for launching these two schools. This achievement marks a significant milestone, as these will be the University of Salamanca's first Spanish schools in the Middle East. This fact reflects the growth and demand for Spanish as a language throughout the world, even in regions where it is not the predominant language, such as the United Arab Emirates.
As explained in the 2022 yearbook of the Cervantes Institute in reference to Spanish in the United Arab Emirates: “we can estimate that the number of Spanish students is around 1,200 students per year. To this figure we should add all the students of Spanish as a foreign language and as a mother tongue in the numerous schools in the country where our language is taught. Therefore, it is evident that the teaching of Spanish has a prominent presence at all educational levels. Furthermore, the growing interest of local authorities and the existence of a large Spanish-speaking community predict a long-lasting and successful future for Spanish in the Emirates. Now, despite all the progress that has been made, the Spaniard has a lot of room for growth in the Emirates and there is still a lot of work to do.”
With this signature, the Spanish Language Schools of the University of Salamanca, together with the institution itself, continue to promote its Spanish teaching methodology, which is unique in the world. Their goal is to turn these schools into global leaders in the teaching of Spanish, a mission to which they are highly committed.
