Doha - QatarDebate Center

QatarDebate Center has kicked off the 7th International Universities Debating Championship in Doha, bringing together Arabic-speaking students and non-native speakers globally to debate diverse issues and compete for the title of champions for the 2024 edition.

The opening ceremony was held at the Qatar National Convention Center, where competitions will be held over five consecutive days. Mr. Abdul Rahman Al-Subaie, Director of Programs at the QatarDebate Center, stated during his opening speech: “Today, we gather at the largest international Arabic debating event. QatarDebate Center has become a leader in debate in the Arabic language and a leading institution promoting dialogue at a global level. This tournament aims to build awareness, critical thinking, and acceptance of differences in the participating debaters.”

The ceremony included a technical meeting for the participating teams to explain the rules and regulations of the championship. Participants will compete in two categories: native Arabic language speakers and non-native Arabic language speakers.

Asmahan Al-Kuwari, a former contestant and past member of Qatar’s national debating team welcomed the participants and said: “This global meeting is one of the largest and most diverse platforms for dialogue in the world. Today, we have nearly 600 participants who speak more than 20 languages, gathered together to debate in Arabic language. Thousands of debaters have participated in the previous editions, and continue to benefit from the QatarDebate platform, which encourages us to confront arguments while adopting the highest principles of conveying our message artfully.”

To decide the debating teams, Qatar Debate Center has adopted the power-matching format, an electronic random pairing mechanism, that draws lots to pair teams in the first round, before matching them based on scores in the subsequent rounds. This system ensures that teams with the same level of qualification are grouped after the first round.

Commenting on the adoption of the power-matching system, Nadia Darwish, debate coach at the Arabic Language Programs Department at QatarDebate Center, said: “The importance of this system is that the draw determines whether each participating team will argue in favor or opposition of the topic at hand. In both cases, the participant must present rational arguments to support their position. This helps participating students gain the flexibility to understand and embrace the opposing side’s rationale and accept and respect different opinions without discrimination.”

A diverse participant pool representing the top debaters from the participating countries distinguishes the championship. Sharing her experience, Faliza Afqiya Bint Jojo, a non-native Arabic-speaking participant from Sultan Sharif Ali University in Brunei Darussalam, remarked: “This championship in Qatar provides us with a great opportunity to communicate, get to know each other, and build relationships with our peers from around the world, while presenting us with a unique opportunity to learn the latest methods and techniques of debate in Arabic language.”

The qualifying stage is divided into six rounds spread over the first and second days. On the first day of the qualifying rounds, the participants debated two topics: ‘Temporary self-employment harms the economy more than it helps,’ and ‘Environmental movements should focus on changing regulations and policies rather than changing individual consumer choices.’

An exhibition is also being held during the championship, bringing together QatarDebate Center’s partners, and engaging the participants in various interactive activities.

Exhibitors include Al Jazeera Media Network, Education Above All Foundation, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, and Qatar Reads— an initiative by Qatar National Library. Moreover, QatarDebate Center is also hosting several interactive activities including a space for its Oasis of Dialogue initiative, which invites participants to immerse themselves in a welcoming environment for exchanging ideas.

Visitors were also made aware of the Doha Forum - Youth Edition, and its upcoming international conference that will take place in partnership with the Doha International Family Institute.

Bringing together exceptional debaters, the 7th International Universities Debating Championship represents one of the largest international Arabic debate competitions worldwide.

The 2024 edition brings together over 600 speakers and judges from more than 50 countries, including 100 Arabic and non-Arabic-speaking teams. Over 80 Qatar-based judges and 45 international adjudicators, along with 150 volunteers are participating in the tournament.

Over the course of the tournament, the participants will debate a range of contemporary topics of interest to Arab youth, including social justice, economic development, and environmental sustainability.

Seven teams from Qatar-based universities including Qatar University, the University of Doha for Science and Technology, Texas A&M University at Qatar, Georgetown University in Qatar, Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, Lusail University, and the Police Academy, are participating in this year’s edition.

The tournament is organized in partnership with the Doha Forum, Al Jazeera Media Institute, Translation and Interpreting Institute (TII) at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, and the Doha International Family Institute.