QF and Ted to Host Latest TEDinarabic Regional Event in Jordan

The groundbreaking TEDinArabic initiative – created by Qatar Foundation and TED to inspire and amplify ideas in the Arabic language on a global scale – is to hold its second regional event, focusing on how human, technological, and natural potential can be harnessed to tackle the world’s challenges.

The event – which can also be viewed online - will take place in Amman, Jordan, on Saturday, June 4, as three top TED speakers share their perspectives with a global audience, in Arabic. Hosted by Al Hussein Technical University, it aims to explore ways in which people can access information, imagination, and invention to find the solutions humanity is seeking.

‘Unlocking Potential, Elevating Stories’ is the second regional TEDinArabic event to be held since the initiative was launched in 2020, through the shared belief of Qatar Foundation (QF) and TED in the power of ideas. TEDinArabic is TED’s first initiative in the Arabic language, with its website having been visited nearly two million times and its content reaching over 16 million people, with nearly 36 million impressions across its social media outlets.

TED speakers at the Jordan event will be Emtithal ‘Emi’ Mahmoud, who dedicates her time to spreading understanding of causes such as those of refugees and disadvantaged communities through poetry and advocacy; Amir Nizar Zuabi, founding artistic director of the Shiber Hur Theater Company and an alumnus of the Sundance Institute Theater Program; and Sheikha Al Jassasi, the first visually impaired Omani woman to earn a Master of Business Administration from Bedfordshire University, and whose love of learning saw her surpass all expectations – including her own.

The series of TEDinArabic regional events will lead up to a flagship event in Doha in March 2023, bringing the TED conference experience to the Middle East and North Africa. Through a TEDinArabic ideas search across the Arabic-speaking world, 16 Arabic speakers who propose the most imaginative and inspiring ideas in the Arabic language will be selected to give TED Talks at this showpiece event.

Since the three-year partnership between QF and TED – which reflects QF’s commitment to preserving and promoting the Arabic language nationally, regionally, and globally – began, a customized digital destination has been created to act as TEDinArabic’s content library, housing blogs, TED-Ed video lessons, customized videos, and other content in the Arabic language. This will remain accessible to the world once the partnership ends. 

To register to virtually attend the TEDinArabic regional event in Jordan on June 4 – which will also include interactive workshops, activations, and a performance by a local artist – visit tedinarabic.ted.com, where you can also find more information about TEDinArabic and explore its ideas and content.