Cheil MENA wins Digital & Interactive Design Grand Prix at Dubai Lynx for Samsung’s ‘KalimaLock’ app which revives the use of Arabic

Cheil MENA has scooped the Digital & Interactive Design Grand Prix at Dubai Lynx 2016 for its KalimaLock app for Samsung, which aims to revive the use of the Arabic language, especially among younger audiences.

Cheil’s app works like a smart lock feature on a phone. In order to unlock the screen, the user must connect dots that correctly form the Arabic word on the touchscreen. When the dots are connected correctly and a word is spelled out, the meaning of the word in Arabic and English appears on screen, along with its pronunciation, before the device can be used.

The KalimaLock application teaches users to write words in Arabic, as well as providing their meanings and connotations in both Arabic and English. The app is available on the Samsung Galaxy store and Google Play and is compatible with Galaxy smartphones and tablets.

The app launched to coincide with Arab Literacy Day in 2015 which is celebrated across the region on January 8th every year, commemorating the creation of the Arab Network for Literacy and Adult Education in 1970 by the Arab League.

The average literacy rate in the Arab World is around 78 per cent, the number of illiterate people is approximately at nearly 97 million. The use of classical Arabic has also witnessed a decline according to recent studies among school children.

At the awards show JWT was named Network of the Year and Impact BBDO was named Agency of the Year.