News

Twitter Now Supports Correct Arabic Feminine Form

Twitter has announced that it will allow Arabic-speaking women to be addressed in the feminine form instead of the default masculine form.

Published

3 years ago

June 22, 2021

Joanna Melki

Twitter

Professional translators don’t have it easy because various languages don’t just use different words to express the same notions — they also sometimes work completely differently. In Arabic (as well as several other languages), grammatical structures change depending on the gender of the subject.

Now imagine you’re a translator, and your job is to translate the word “Tweet” into Arabic. Do you choose the masculine form or the feminine form? When Twitter first added support for the language, it went with the former option. Now, the social network has also added support for the latter.

“We’re adding this language support to Twitter.com and working to bring it to Twitter for iOS and Android as well. We’re committed to using inclusive language at Twitter, regardless if it’s written down, shown on our site and apps, or embedded in our code,” write Carla El Maalouli, Head of Business Marketing at Twitter MENA, and Fabien Ho Ching Ma, Twitter Software Engineer.

رحبوا بالعربية (مؤنث)، لغة العرض الجديدة على نسخة الويب من تويتر. #أتحدث_بالمؤنث pic.twitter.com/MQL7qkou2K

— Twitter MENA (@TwitterMENA) June 15, 2021

The steps to switch from the default masculine form to the feminine form are very simple:

How To Switch To Twitter’s Arabic Feminine Form

Log in to Twitter.com.
Go to Settings and privacy.
Navigate to Accessibility, display, and languages.
Select Languages and Display language.
Pick the Arabic (feminine) option from the Display language menu.

Twitter will then address you using the feminine form. If you still see the masculine form, log out and log in again.

Also Read: Twitter Verification Badge Is Now Available To The Public

Alongside the support for the feminine form, Twitter is also launching a campaign titled #FeminineArabic أتحدث_بالمؤنث# to encourage other tech companies to follow suit.

“We know there’s more work to be done for our service to reflect the variety of voices around the world, and we’ll continue to share what we learn and how we update Twitter based on your feedback,” states the official press release.

News

NASA Forms New Partnership With Saudi Space Agency

The pair will collaborate on the Center for Space Futures, advancing space tech by bringing together public and private stakeholders.

Published

22 hours ago

May 16, 2024

Nour Nasir

Saudi Space Agency

Saudi Arabia’s space industry is on the brink of substantial expansion after generating $400 million in revenue in 2022, according to a report by the Saudi Communications, Space and Technology Commission.

Now, in a new venture with NASA, plans for a “Center for Space Futures” are set to further drive the Kingdom’s aspirations of becoming a leading player in space exploration and technology.

Capturing moments from the joint delegation visit with leaders from the Saudi and American Space Agencies @NASA to @PSU_RUH, along with scenes showcasing the audience's engagement. pic.twitter.com/oB1cFTiRNl

— وكالة الفضاء السعودية (@saudispace) May 14, 2024

The partnership between NASA and Saudi Arabia goes beyond economic advantages. The pair have already cooperated on preliminary work for the Artemis II lunar mission, which is slated for a September 2025 launch and aims to land astronauts near the moon’s South Pole.

Also Read: Plans Underway For Massive Middle East Autonomous Freight Network

During a visit to the capital, Riyadh, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson emphasized in a TV interview the broader objectives of the collaboration, which encompass “returning to the moon and then [to] Mars” while utilizing space exploration to glean important insights into climate change. The NASA spokesman also reiterated the space agency’s dedication to collaborating with Saudi Arabia on other future ventures.