Introducing EA in Arabic
I am thrilled to introduce EA in Arabic (الإحسان الفعال), a pioneering initiative aimed at bringing the principles of effective altruism to Arabic-speaking communities worldwide.
Summary
Spoken by more than 400 million people worldwide, Arabic plays a pivotal role in advancing impactful initiatives across the globe. Despite the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region’s diverse socio-economic landscapes, instability leads to humanitarian crises. However, some Arab nations exert significant economic influence and invest in AI and other emerging technologies. Understanding the humanitarian significance of the region, along with its involvement in Global Catastrophic Risks (GCR), particularly concerning AI and technology, emphasizes the need for focused efforts. EA in Arabic aims to bridge linguistic, intellectual, and social barriers and engage with Arabic-speaking communities. Future plans involve promoting EA principles and community engagement, with Arabic speakers urged to contribute to spreading effective altruism.
Arabic in the World Today
Arabic, with over 400 million speakers globally, holds a significant position as one of the most widely spoken languages. Its influence spans across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, and serves as the liturgical language of more than 1.9 billion Muslims who constitute around 25.2% of the world’s population, making it a vital medium for promoting impactful initiatives.
Note:
While acknowledging the intersections between Arabic-speaking communities and Islam[1], it’s essential to clarify that EA in Arabic focuses solely on the linguistic and cultural aspects from an impartial perspective. If you’re curious about approaching EA from a religious perspective, you may want to explore other initiatives like Muslims for EA and the Muslim Network for Positive Impact.
The MENA Region
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region holds a unique status, embodying a cluster of countries with significantly varied socioeconomic positions. Ranging from nations ranked among the globe’s most impoverished to those at the forefront of economic and technological progress, it embodies a diverse array of socio-economic realities.
Details
Now, let’s swiftly explore some specific details regarding this multifaceted region.
Below is a compilation of several Arab nations ranked among the most impoverished globally:
Country | GDP per Capita (USD$)[2] | Most Recent Year |
| Syria | 421 | 2021 |
| Somalia | 592 | 2022 |
| Yemen | 650 | 2022 |
| South Sudan | 1,072 | 2015 |
| Sudan | 1,102 | 2022 |
Moreover, unfortunately, due to significant instability in the region, many countries have outdated data. For instance, Sudan, which experienced an internal destructive conflict between two military factions in 2023. According to a UNHCR report, approximately half of Sudan’s population, roughly 25 million people, require humanitarian assistance and protection. Nearly 18 million individuals are confronting acute food insecurity, and 8 million people have been displaced. Similar data deficiencies plague countries like Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, Palestine (including Gaza Strip and the West Bank), Mauritania, Iraq, and Libya. Each of these nations grapples with profound humanitarian crises.
This offers a strong reason to prioritize attention on this region in the advancement of Global Health and Wellbeing.
Conversely, there are several countries ranked among the wealthiest globally. Here is a list of some Arab nations with thriving economies as of 2022:
Country | GDP per Capita (USD$) |
| Qatar | 87,662 |
| UAE | 53,708 |
| Kuwait | 41,080 |
| Saudi Arabia | 30,448 |
| Bahrain | 30,147 |
These nations wield significant economic influence globally, particularly in terms of production and pricing of oil and gas. Furthermore, they actively support and drive economic and technological progress. For instance, Sam Altman, founder and CEO of OpenAI, aims to raise 7 trillion USD for AI infrastructure and presented his proposal to the government of the UAE, which launched a $100 billion AI-focused investment vehicle named MGX, with sovereign wealth fund Mubadala and AI company G42 as its key partners. Similarly, the Saudi Arabian government established a $40 billion fund for AI investment, positioning Saudi Arabia as one of the world’s largest investors in the field. Kuwait is allocating $10 billion for technology investment in 2024, while Qatar’s investments in new technologies, including AI, IoT, and cybersecurity are projected to reach $5.7 billion by 2026.
This provides a strong incentive to prioritize attention on this region and its connection to Global Catastrophic Risks (GCR), particularly those associated with AI and technological advancements.
Given the varied landscape of the MENA region, the launch of EA in Arabic holds immense significance. By bridging linguistic, intellectual, and social barriers, as well as tailoring EA principles to Arabic-speaking audiences through translation and community building activities, we aim to catalyze positive change and address pressing global challenges.
About EA in Arabic
EA in Arabic originated as an initiative focused on translating EA content into Arabic and promoting it within Arabic-speaking communities. Supported by a grant from Open Philanthropy (which I received as an individual. An official organization is yet to be established), the project commenced in September 2023 and officially launched its website on February 1st, 2024.
Achievements
Over the 6-months period of the grant (Sep. 2023 - Feb. 2024), the team translated approximately 647,147 English words, equivalent to six 400-page books. The translations covered essential EA resources such as the EA Handbook, 80,000 Hours’ career guide and several problem profiles and career reviews, Utilitarianism.net (everything except guest articles), The Most Important Century series (all blogs without the appendices), Probably Good (cause areas + core concepts), and GiveWell’s recent blog series “How We Work.”
Future Plans
Moving forward, we plan to emphasize promotion and community-building activities while sustaining translation efforts. Through social media presence, newsletters, webinars, meetups, and tailored EA introductory programs, we aim to engage select individuals and niches within Arabic-speaking communities (in accordance with the fidelity model of spreading ideas), fostering meaningful change and support for effective altruism initiatives, whether it be through governmental, financial, intellectual, or social avenues. This will progressively contribute to increased philanthropic support for effective charities, the establishment of new impactful initiatives, advancing animal welfare, and fostering improved AI/bioengineering policy and governance within Arabic-speaking nations.
How to Contribute
If you’re an Arabic speaker, we invite you to join our growing community by filling out this form. Additionally, help us spread the word to Arabic speakers in your network to expand our reach and impact.
Website: EAinArabic.org
X/Twitter: twitter.com/eainarabic
Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/eainarabic/
Instagram: instagram.com/eainarabic/
- ^
Research suggests that around 94% of the population in the MENA region identifies as Muslim. However, the accuracy of this statistic is highly debatable due to societal, legal, and political barriers that restrict the expression of non-conformist beliefs. Brian Whitaker’s book “Arabs Without God: Atheism and Freedom of Belief in the Middle East” delves into this complex issue.
- ^
The average GDP per Capita worldwide is $12,687.7 according to the World Bank.
I’m really excited to see this! Thank you for all the work you’ve put into it!
One piece of feedback (that others in the actual target audience are probably better to weigh in on): I noticed the people page currently seems to exclusively feature white Americans and Europeans, which I imagine might be offputting to some people the website is designed to reach.
Thank you Rockwell for taking the time to read and share your feedback, it’s much appreciated!
I fully agree with what you’ve mentioned. I might also add that the majority of the list are “white, heterosexual males.” Nonetheless, this composition reflects the reality of leading figures historically and presently within the movement (at least as far as my knowledge goes), and altering it to better align with our values isn’t feasible.
If there are other notable figures who play a significant role in leading the philosophy and movement, please do share.
Depending on what you are aiming to achieve with that section of the website, you don’t have to have notable figures, you could include people who are most relevant (or not include individuals at all).
For example Magnify Mentoring has people who have benefited from their mentoring programs. EA Philippines have photos of their local community. EA for Christians have stories from members on their community tab and no profiles of people on their intro page.
Agreed. It could be wise to consider removing the “People” section at this stage.
Initially, the concept was to have the website function as an entry point for EA, providing explanatory materials similar to utilitarianism.net, which has a dedicated page for key thinkers.
However, in our case and at this point, it’s not crucial to include leading EA figures.
Appreciate your input David!
Thanks for doing this! It seems cool.
Thank you Ben!
I am so happy to see this :D The translation and the website are amazing. Have you considered sharing the experiences of people from the MENA region who are open about EA ideas within their community? (It’s something I am personally struggling with)
Thank you Elham, I’m so happy to see your comment!
Honestly, this is an issue that I’m kinda struggling with too. Would you like to have a quick call to discuss our experiences and maybe collaborate on something?