Relations between China and the Arab world, including the countries of the Persian Gulf, are currently very prominent due to language and culture ties that serve as a bridge between them. Xi Zianfen, cultural attache of the PRC Embassy in Kuwait and director of the Chinese cultural center, noted that students have different goals: some wish to travel, while others plan to study in China and want to learn basic information about the language before the trip.
Some participants study Chinese for professional purposes, especially in the technology sector. According to him, many Kuwaitis have connections with China or work with Chinese companies in Kuwait. Recently, in the Salmiya area, where multiple shops, restaurants, and cafes are located, a Chinese cultural center was opened — the first of its kind in the Persian Gulf, aimed at promoting Chinese culture and language.
Gianfen cited in Reuters said that the opening of the center resulted from an agreement between the governments in 2017 and serves as a symbol of friendship between Kuwait and Beijing. The center, which opened last year, has already begun conducting its first official Chinese language course, attended by around 60 students.
In one of the larger halls of the center, more than a dozen students of various ages listen to instructions from a Chinese teacher. Among them is Faisal Rashid Al-Ghais, a former Kuwaiti envoy to Beijing, who teaches Chinese with his wife due to a passion for studying foreign languages.
Kuwaitis recognize the importance of China as a political and economic power since it is the second strongest economy in the world. At the same time, the Chinese Republic is becoming extremely popular among the residents of Kuwait, who wish to visit China for tourism or educational purposes.
