Syrian Arabic linguist Mazen al‑Mubarak dies at 96

Renowned Syrian linguist and professor Mazen al‑Mubarak passed away at the age of 96. Born in Damascus in 1930 into a family of Arabic scholars, he earned his master’s and doctorate in Arabic grammar from Cairo University and spent more than seven decades teaching Arabic language and literature across the Arab world. He held academic posts at the University of Damascus, University of Riyadh, Lebanese University, Qatar University, and led the Arabic department at Dubai’s College of Islamic and Arabic Studies.

Al‑Mubarak was a long‑standing member of the Arabic Language Academy in Damascus and participated in numerous pan‑Arab linguistic committees. His scholarly output includes extensive works on Arabic grammar, rhetoric, and the critical edition of classical texts, earning him the King Salman International Complex for the Arabic Language award in 2025. The Syrian Ministry of Culture and academic institutions described his death as a significant loss to the Arabic linguistic and cultural community.