Russia plans to introduce an Arabic language exam by 2033
Russia may introduce a Unified State Exam (USE) in Arabic in 2033.
According to the Russian ministry, the development of teaching materials for high school students is scheduled to be completed by 2030, and the full implementation of the exam is expected in 2033.
Russian Minister of Education Sergey Kravtsov previously stated that the Arabic language curriculum has already been approved and will take effect on September 1, 2026.
According to Kravtsov, certain elements are already being implemented in the Russian education system: Arabic language competitions are being held, a school curriculum for studying the language has been approved, and Russian fairy tales and literature have been translated into Arabic.
The idea of expanding Arabic language instruction began to be actively discussed following Vladimir Putin’s meeting with the President of the UAE in 2024, as well as initiatives by the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Russian Federation in 2023.
At that time, it was proposed to include Arabic in the list of exam subjects.
The initiative sparked mixed reactions within Russia. Some members of the Human Rights Council expressed concern, stating that this could affect the country’s internal unity and public sentiment.
Currently, Russian high school students can take the Unified State Exam (USE) in five foreign languages:
- English
- German
- French
- Spanish
- Chinese
The Chinese language exam, as noted, has been in place for about five years.
This was reported by the press service of Rosobrnadzor.
