Merchants gather to learn Arabic at the Yiwu International Trade Market in Yiwu county-level city, Jinhua, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Tide News]

Nearly 200 merchants gathered to learn Arabic in the early morning of April 7 at the Yiwu International Trade Market.

For the first time, Arabic has been added to the long-running "foreign language morning training" program in Yiwu, a county-level city of Jinhua.

The move comes as Yiwu's exports to Saudi Arabia alone hit 16.46 billion yuan ($2.24 billion) in 2023, up 16.5 percent year-on-year. Yiwu has become a major trading hub for small goods, with Arab countries among its top markets.

The new classes are practical and tailored. Merchants learn Arabic phrases for everyday business scenarios, making it easier to engage with Arabic-speaking buyers on the same day.

"About 60 percent of our customers are from Arabic-speaking countries," said shop owner Shan Chenxiao. "My Arabic isn't good, so I joined the class to better serve them."

Instructor Ma Yao, who studied in Egypt, said student enthusiasm is high. "We've got older shopkeepers with gray hair, mid-career businesspeople, and fresh entrepreneurs — all eager to improve."

The foreign language morning program has run for 19 years, training over 500,000 merchants. This year, Yiwu plans to hold 140 sessions, adding Spanish to the curriculum later in the year.

Editor: Zhong Xinyi