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Dubai: If you have learnt Arabic in Dubai, or know of those who have, chances are you have come across the Arabic Language Centre, based in the World Trade Centre.
If you are one of the thousands who have studied the language at the renowned school, then chances are you were taught by, or knew Maliha Wehbe the school's founder.
After battling cancer, Wehbe passed away on September 12, and was recently remembered at a gathering to celebrate the life of this 'great woman' and 'pioneer.'
According to those who were 'privileged' to have known her, Wehbe touched countless lives, primarily through her long and celebrated teaching career.
Tracing her life through her varied roles as teacher, mentor, colleague, mother, friend and relative, hundreds gathered to pay tribute to a woman whose legacy they are committed to preserving through her language school, as well as the recently established Maliha Wehbe Arabic Language Scholarship.
From her humble beginnings in a one-bedroom apartment in Sharjah in the mid-1970's, to her unparalleled success in Arabic language teaching to foreigners, for many Wehbe became part of the fabric of the UAE.
Born in Palestine in 1938, her family moved to Lebanon in 1954. Arabic had long been Wehbe's passion and she began her career teaching foreigners in Beirut, before moving to the UAE, after she, her husband and children left Lebanon in 1976 following the outbreak of civil war.
In the UAE she continued to pass on her love of the language, while also working on several business ventures; shuttling between Dubai and Sharjah in shared taxis.
Then, in 1980, Wehbe embarked on a project that would be her defining achievement the Arabic Language Centre (ALC).
Life coach
Wehbe's life as an educator was recalled through the eyes of a number of her students, one of whom, Adnan, described her as a 'teacher and anchor in my life' who gave him the 'gift of language.'
He recalled enrolling at the centre at the age of eight, after losing his own mother to cancer. Now, after recently returning to Dubai as an adult, he has rejoined the ALC.
"Maliha's teachings live on in me. She was not just a teacher, she was a life coach," he told the gathering of family, friends and former students.
Badriya, an ALC teacher, described Wehbe as her 'pillar, companion, best friend, teacher and inspiration.'
"She had a remarkable ability to make everyone feel special. She was the mentor who never lectured...A brilliant educator and ambassador of love for our language."
Wehbe's family, friends and colleagues say they have been overwhelmed by the response since her death, with countless people flooding the family and school with letters and messages expressing how she touched their lives.
"I like countless others, am deeply in her debt for having the inspiration and courage to found the Arabic Language Centre," wrote former student, Alex McGeoch in a letter to the centre.
Linguist and teacher
- Maliha Wehbe
- 1938-2006
- Born in Bisan, Palestine in 1938
- Moved to the UAE in the mid-1970s
- Arabic linguist and founder of the Arabic Language Centre, at the Dubai World Trade Centre
- Known as a 'pioneer' and loved by many as a teacher, mentor, colleague and friend
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