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قلم ولوح Qalam wa Lawh Center for Arabic Studies · Rabat Apply
Center for Arabic StudiesAgdal, RabatFounded 2007Programs year-round

Arabic, learned in the city that speaks it.

Qalam wa Lawh has taught Arabic as a foreign language in Rabat since 2007: Modern Standard Arabic and Moroccan Darija, in classes of ten students at most, with the life of the city as a second classroom.

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قلم ولوح

Qalam wa Lawh: the reed pen and the tablet, the traditional instruments of teaching in the Arab world.

Qalam students on a guided visit inside a madrasa, between zellige columns and carved plaster arches
Fig. 01A guided visit with Qalam students, among zellige columns and carved plaster.
20or30hours of class a week in intensive courses
10students at most in every language class
2weeksbetween intensive start dates, all year round
2007the year the center opened in Rabat

In this issue

Everything you need to plan your stay

Programs, prices, dates, housing and admissions, set out in full from the center's own information.

  1. 01ProgramsIntensive, semester, summer, winter, online, private, evening and children's courses.
  2. 02Pricing & datesTuition, housing and services as listed, with every start date for 2026 and 2027.
  3. 03Housing & life in RabatStudent residence, host families, studios, and the week beyond the classroom.
  4. 04ApplyFour steps, from choosing a program to your confirmation within 48 to 72 hours.
  5. 05ContactWhatsApp, phone, email and the address in Agdal.

Essay On the name

قلم ولوح

قلم
al qalam, the reed pen
لوح
al lawh, the tablet

Two instruments, and an old idea of learning

Long before pen and paper became commonplace, the reed pen and the tablet were the instruments of teaching across the Arab world. They recall a time when scholars travelled far in search of languages, histories and cultures entirely foreign to them.

The center takes its name from them, and its conviction too: that language and knowledge are unifying forces, to be used actively in the service of peace and coexistence.

Every class is led by a native-speaking Arabic teacher holding an advanced degree in Arabic literature, law or applied linguistics. Before leading a class alone, each teacher completes three months of specialized training in teaching Arabic as a foreign language, then three more as a teaching assistant.

Qalam works alongside Mohammed V University in Rabat and Moulay Ismail University in Meknes, and has welcomed students from universities and institutions around the world.

Discover the programs

01 Programs

Choose your pace, from two weeks to a full year

Between six and thirty hours a week, on site in Rabat or online, in Modern Standard Arabic or Moroccan Arabic.

Nº 01 · On site, year-round

Intensive Arabic

Full language and cultural immersion, taught entirely in Arabic. One course takes four weeks, about 80 hours of class.

  • Hours20 or 30 a week
  • LengthFrom 2 weeks
  • StartsEvery two weeks
  • From1,900 MAD a week
Intensive courses

Nº 02 · Study abroad

Semester, summer & winter

Academic programs with Arabic, area studies and experiential learning, with records sent to your home university.

  • Semester16 weeks, fall or spring
  • SummerFour 4-week sessions
  • WinterDecember and January
  • CreditTranscripts provided
Study abroad programs

Nº 03 · Anywhere

Online & private

Instructor-led courses from home or office, and one-on-one lessons shaped around your goals and schedule.

  • Online intensive20 hours a week
  • Online semester16 weeks
  • Private2 to 30 hours a week
  • Private, hourly250 MAD
Online and private
A student presents to her group around a long table, with laptops open and carved wooden screens behind them
Fig. 02An intensive group class at Qalam: presentations and discussion, with ten students at most.
Students and Moroccan speakers lean over a table at the Arabic Language Café, sharing notes and a small map
Fig. 03The Arabic Language Café: learners and native speakers, around tea and conversation.

02 Life in Rabat

Thursdays, half past four

Every Thursday from 16:30 to 18:00, the Arabic Language Café brings learners and native speakers together in the center's café and on its terrace. Free, and open to students and the local community.

Every course also includes two weekly excursions to Rabat's historic and cultural sites, led in Arabic by your teachers.

Housing and life in Rabat

The center's terrace under white parasols, full of students talking at small tables
Fig. 04The terrace of the Qalam café.

03 Start dates

The next start dates

Intensive courses begin every two weeks. Major start dates suit everyone, including complete beginners who cannot yet read Arabic script.

  1. 12Oct 2026Major start
  2. 26Oct 2026
  3. 09Nov 2026Major start
  4. 23Nov 2026
  5. 07Dec 2026Major start
  6. 21Dec 2026
  7. 11Jan 2027Semester start
  8. 25Jan 2027
  9. 08Feb 2027Major start
  10. 22Feb 2027
  11. 08Mar 2027Major start
  12. 22Mar 2027
In blue: major start datesSemester start dates are suitable for all students, including complete beginnersFull 2026 and 2027 calendar
أهلا وسهلا

Tell us your dates and your level. We will suggest a program.

Send a message on WhatsApp and the team will reply with options, prices and the registration form that fits.

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