The International Programs Office at Texas A&M works with student groups each year to present cultural programs to raise awareness of a particular country, region or continent to audiences on campus and in the community. This year Texas A&M is hosting Celebrating Arab Cultures, February 8-11, 2007. The first Arab Cultures event was held in February of 2005.

Presently there are more than 100 students from fourteen Arab countries including Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, Palestine (ie. occupied territories), Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, and the United Arab Emirates. Texas A&M also has nearly 200 students on our branch campus in Qatar who will take part in the creation of the country display activity.

Celebrating Arab Cultures event is designed to bring events and activities that will be entertaining and informative, as you can see by selecting the Event Schedule. The purpose of the event is to create a platform for the campus and community to get to know its Arab neighbors and to understand the Arabic culture and heritage.

The students and a number of faculty who come from Arab countries would like to help Texas A&M students, staff and faculty as well as the local community to better understand their culture and values. The planners hope to dispel stereotypes, build positive relationships, and let the community know that Arabs students are here to learn and build a better future for themselves, their home country and ultimately the world.