Liverpool’s Arabic Debate Team Secures Second Place in Europe’s Top Championship
The European Universities Arabic Debating Championship wrapped up in Istanbul after an intense five-day competition (13–18 February 2025), bringing together top academic teams from across Europe. Organised by QatarDebate, in partnership with Ibn Haldun University and Fatih Sultan Mehmet University, the event is one of the most significant Arabic-language debate championships in the region.
This year’s tournament saw fierce intellectual battles, reflecting the growing influence of Arabic as a language for academic discussion and competitive debate.
Strong UK Presence and Standout Performances
The UK fielded four university teams, each featuring talented Arab students from across the Middle East. The British universities and their team members were:
- Queen Mary University of London – Mohammed Kamshad, Farah Al-Abbad, Lulwa Al-Khiyarain
- University of Strathclyde – Zayed Al-Maqbali, Timur Al-Wardi, Fatima Al-Lawati
- University of Sheffield – Karim Al-Saidi, Rahaf Abdulwahid, Youssef Al-Saffar
- University of Liverpool – Al-Khattab Al-Masrouri, Abdulaziz Al-Raqishi, Ali Al-Lawati
Liverpool Battles to the Final
With outstanding performances in the preliminary rounds, Liverpool emerged as the UK’s strongest contender, securing a spot in the final after a series of tough debates. Facing Fatih Sultan Mehmet University in a high-stakes showdown, the Liverpool team put up a strong fight in a deep and thought-provoking debate. Ultimately, the Turkish team claimed victory, leaving Liverpool as the tournament’s well-deserved runners-up.
Liverpool’s achievement is a milestone for the UK Arabic Debating Team, which has been working to expand Arabic debating across British universities. The team brings together Arab students from diverse backgrounds, creating a space to sharpen their critical thinking, argumentation, and public speaking skills—all essential tools in today’s competitive academic and professional worlds.
Hawaa Al-Jaradi, founder of the UK Arabic Debating Team, highlighted the need for more platforms where Arab students in Britain can develop their debating skills. She pointed to training programmes like the Debating Academy and Judging Academy, which are helping students refine their abilities and prepare for major competitions.
“Our goal is to make Arabic debating accessible not only to native speakers but also to non-Arabic speakers looking to immerse themselves in the language through debate,” she explained.
A Growing Arabic Academic Scene in the UK
With this year’s championship coming to a close, momentum is building to strengthen Arabic-language debating in the UK and across Europe. Interest from universities and research institutions in preserving and expanding Arabic as a language of intellectual discourse continues to grow.
Liverpool’s strong performance in Istanbul is a step forward in making Arabic debating a bigger part of British university culture. It also opens the door for future UK teams to make their mark on the international stage.
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