The Art of Public Speaking in Saudi Arabia

The Art of Public Speaking in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia refers to the skills associated with oration and recitation, exemplified prominently by Friday sermons in mosques. This art has developed in the Kingdom, with governmental entities contributing to its advancement and education, as well as dedicating competitions and awards to it.

Before the establishment of the modern Saudi state, public speaking was limited to what mosque preachers delivered during Fridays and religious holidays. The primary purpose of the first sermon was to remind people of matters related to their faith and daily lives, address societal issues, guide them toward public welfare in religious and worldly matters, or encourage a stance required by the current situation. The second sermon, however, included supplications, prayers, and blessings upon the Prophet, peace be upon him (PBUH).

The nature of Friday sermons changed after the unification of the Kingdom. Scholars and graduates from specialized universities, which produced generations of reformist scholars and preachers, were enlisted. Pulpits of mosques came under the supervision of the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance. According to the General Authority for Statistics in 2015, the number of mosques reached approximately one hundred thousand. These contribute to spreading religious awareness, providing guidance, reinforcing values of belonging and citizenship, and strengthening national unity among members of society. Preachers choose topics that promote unity and love, emphasize the importance of supporting leadership, and advocate preserving the nation’s resources and achievements.

The government entities and literary clubs in the Kingdom organize free courses and workshops to teach public speaking and recitation arts to interested individuals. among these is the Institute for Imams and Preachers, affiliated with the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah, and Guidance, which conducts training courses for preachers and advocates on public speaking skills, recitation techniques, and preparing speeches and lectures. The platform operated by the National eLearning Center offers courses in the art of public speaking and recitation.

Additionally, the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba) organizes the "Mawhiba Skills Enrichment Program: Speech and Public Speaking." This training program is held in-person in Riyadh, Jeddah, and al-Khobar, or remotely via the eLearning platform, targeting talented students across all provinces of the Kingdom. It focuses on building personal and public speaking skills and is directed at students at intermediate and secondary education levels. It includes training sessions, games, and activities to refine students' personal and public speaking skills.

The Mawhiba Skills Enrichment Program aims to enhance public speaking and recitation skills, manage stress and nervousness, understand the elements of powerful speech and success factors, and develop the personal and public speaking abilities of 'Mawhiba' students. it also focuses on improving listening skills, preparing and organizing ideas through mind mapping, and refining body language, vocal abilities, and visual communication skills in recitation.

The cooperative office for dawah, guidance, and community awareness in Ar'ar organized a training course titled "Skills in Public Speaking and Recitation: The Art of Preparing a Friday Sermon." It targeted preachers, advocates, and individuals interested in the arts of public speaking and recitation. The course focused on skills for preparing and organizing impactful sermons, managing time effectively and dividing ideas within the allocated time, understanding audience needs from sermons, equipping participants with the necessary skills to control emotions during recitation, avoiding excessive length and monotony, enhancing vocal abilities, and mastering body language techniques.

The Saudi Arabian Society for Culture and Arts in Tabuk Province organized a training workshop on public speaking and delivery for children titled "The Little Speaker." The workshop was conducted by a specialized team from the Women's Toastmasters Club for Public Speaking in Tabuk to develop and nurture children's talents and equip them with public speaking, delivery, and theater skills. The workshop introduced children to different types of texts and their distinctions, training them on recitation methods, including debates, speeches, dialogues, and short theatrical scripts. It also covered classical and Nabati poetry, types and skills of delivery, the foundations of dialogue, body language, overcoming stage fright, and practical applications in public speaking and delivery.

Several branches of Toastmasters International public speaking clubs exist in the Kingdom. Toastmasters is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to building confidence and teaching public speaking skills through a global network of clubs that meet both in-person and virtually. Members prepare speeches, deliver them, and respond to impromptu questions. The organization was founded in 1924 and is headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, United States. It has approximately 270,000 members in over 14,000 clubs across 150 countries.

Among the governmental entities that have established Toastmasters International public speaking clubs is the Ministry of Commerce, which inaugurated its club on October 25, 2016, aiming to enhance the communication and leadership skills of its employees.

Makkah al-Mukarramah Municipality also launched its Toastmasters club on December 8, 2016, and concurrently organized the Public Speaking and Leadership Forum. The Women's Toastmasters Club for Public Speaking is located in Tabuk.

The Kingdom hosts competitions specializing in public speaking and recitation, organized by governmental entities. Participants from various age groups compete, with monetary prizes allocated. Among these is the "Children's Recitation Challenge," organized by the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language, involving Arabic-speaking children worldwide aged five to twelve. The challenge prizes exceed SAR200,000. Participating children compete by reciting classical Arabic poetic texts through a video recording of no more than five minutes, shared via the "X" platform.

The Ministry of Culture organized the "Voice of the Poem" competition as part of the 2023 Year of Arabic Poetry initiative, aimed at supporting talents in the art of recitation and enhancing their skills. The competition targets children, youth, and adults interested in the art of recitation and voice performance, as well as those talented in reciting poetry and lovers of Arabic poetry. It is aimed at individuals with a talent for recitation and an appreciation for poetry. Participants submit their entries via the electronic voting platform in the form of a video in which they recite a specific poem designated for their age group. The entries are evaluated, and participants advancing to the second stage are selected. Their submissions are then presented to the public through the platform, where voting determines the top positions, and the winners are announced based on the general public's opinion.

King Faisal University in al-Ahsa organizes a public speaking competition for male and female students. The competition requires participants to embody the meanings they address to their audience, aiming to persuade and engage them. The speech must be delivered in classical Arabic and have a moral objective. The first-place winner receives a prize of SAR2,000, the second-place winner SAR1,500, and the third-place winner SAR1,000.

Saudi schools also participate in public speaking competitions. The Arabic Language Division at the Education Office in al-Khobar organized the "Future Speaker" competition to celebrate the International Day of the Arabic Language, with participation from elementary and intermediate schools.

Additionally, the Education Department in Wadi ad-Dawasir Governorate organized the "Knights of Recitation" competition, aimed at instilling Islamic and national values in participating students through national texts, training them in public speaking, eloquence, audience engagement, enhancing their language and pronunciation, instilling confidence in them, and fostering a love for participation.