Hamza test builds foundation for evaluating non-native Arabic proficiency 

30 September 2025

Language is power, perhaps the most potent force in civilizational history. So perhaps it’s no surprise that language proficiency is central to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations’ efforts to build economic sustainability and national identity. 

To that end, Saudi Arabia officially introduced a new test that will measure linguistic proficiency in professional and academic settings in August. Dubbed the Hamza test, it was developed by the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language (KSGAAL), is based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), and is designed as a strategic project for the Human Capability Development Program under the economic development agenda Vision 2030, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

“The increasing demand for learning Arabic for various educational, vocational, and cultural objectives has prompted the need to design a unified global test measuring the Arabic language proficiency that helps enroll in educational programs or meets the needs of the labor market,” Dr. Saad Al-Qahtani, head of the Educational Programs Sector at KSGAAL, told Arab News. “Since mastering language skills is a prerequisite for employment, KSGAAL seeks to enhance cooperation with the entities concerned with teaching the Arabic language to non-native speakers.”

Both powerful and flexible, the test can be administered in designated testing centers or through remote testing systems complete with AI monitoring. Its questions and overall design were developed by experts and specialists to measure listening, reading, writing, and speaking — the four key skills of language proficiency.  

“The test is part of KSGAAL’s endeavors to raise the status of the Arabic language locally, regionally, and internationally, according to Dr. Abdullah bin Saleh Al-Washmi, the secretary-general of the KSGAAL,” Arab News reports.

According to the Saudi Press Agency, the test received significant testing prior to its official launch in August. Between February 2024 and February 2025, more than 2,700 individuals from over 60 countries took the test. But Arab News reports that the test’s development precedes that year of intensive administering by years, first being introduced in December 2023 as a computerized, codified examination testing Arabic language skill from residents of Saudi Arabia, China, Indonesia, India, and more. 

“It was administered in four countries in cooperation with 23 local and eight international universities, providing a reliable method for evaluating language performance for universities and other relevant authorities,” the press agency stated. 

In September 2024, Arab News reported that a major stress test for the examination took place, with 315 candidates from 22 countries evaluating their linguistic skill at the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language. The universities Umm Al-Qura University, Islamic University of Madinah, King Abdulaziz University, King Faisal University, Taif University, Qassim University, and Prince Sattam bin Abdulaziz University all participated in administering the test. 

The round of testing focused on non-native speakers to further its primary goal of benchmarking Arabic proficiency among foreign-language speakers regardless of regionality. 

It’s just the latest effort among Arabic countries to ensure Arabic language acquisition and proficiency surges in the years to come. For instance, Abu Dhabi recently expanded its Arabic language requirements for early-age learning when the human brain is most receptive to internalizing language skill. Starting in the 2025-2026 academic year with plans for even more rigorous requirements in subsequent years, Abu Dhabi students as young as 3 years old will spend four hours a week practicing language skills.