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Muscat, October 28 (QNA) - The third Asian Arabic Debating Championship kicked off Tuesday in Muscat, hosted by Oman for the second time in a row.The event, organized jointly by Oman's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth (the strategic partner of the championship), the QatarDebate Center (QDC), and the Oman Debate Center, will continue until Nov.1.Participating in the tournament are 40 teams from 16 Asian countries, representing a variety of universities and educational institutions, to contest in thoughtful rounds that aim to promote the culture of dialogue in Arabic, as well as hone the youth's critical thinking skills and persuasion.The opening ceremony was held at the Arab Open University in Muscat, with the attendance of Omani dignitaries, namely,HE Under-Secretary for the Ministry of Information, Mohammed bin Said Al Balushi, HE Undersecretary for Sports and Youth, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, Basil bin Ahmed Al Rawas, QDC Executive Director, Dr. Hayat Abdulla Maarafi, alongside a wide swath of heads of universities, media representatives, and delegations of the participating teams.In her opening remarks, Director of Communications at QDC, Reem Al Musallam, said that opting for Muscat to host this tournament is a testament to its role as a bridge for civilizational communication and a hub of cultures. She noted QDC's commitment to stand in support of debate culture and youth empowerment through the Arabic language.For his part, the tournament general coordinator, Khalid Khamees Al Ibrahim, affirmed that the center touts the organization of this event in Oman as a hub that gathers young people from Asia to explore values of constructive conversation and critical thinking. He stressed that debate is literally a tool that builds well-aware personalities and creates positive impacts.This hospitality reflects Oman's commitment to backing young initiatives and consolidating its standing as a regional platform for conversation and expertise sharing, said CEO of Oman Debate Center, Nasser bin Hamid Al Hunai.This year's debates tackled epochal issues that touch youth reality, such as sustainable development, education, and cultural identity. The rounds are assessed by an international adjudication committee based on accurate criteria that observe the strength of suggestions and the safety of language.Ahead of the launch of this tournament, QDC had organized an adjudicators academy workshop, which convened 30 adjudicators from Oman and intended to advance adjudication skills and unify evaluation standards as part of the preparations for having a successful championship that deepens the culture of dialogue in Arabic. (QNA)
