Head of the department – Latypov Linar Nailevich.

Activity of department is devoted to comprehensive research and teaching the Arabic language (both modern, and classical, and also Egyptian dialect) and the Arabic literature within the federal programs directed to studying of Oriental languages and cultures and training of specialists on east regions. Geographically Arabic language and the Arabic culture cover the most part of North Africa and the Middle East, as well as the entire Arabian Peninsula. Arabic is an official language in 22 countries of the world, and also is one of six working languages of the UN, therefore relevance of its studying in the modern world doesn't raise doubts.

The department originally was called as department of Oriental languages and was founded in 1989 at faculty of the Tatar philology, history and oriental languages. Its opening marked the beginning of revival of the academic oriental studies at the Kazan University. The first head of the department was known turkologist, academician of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan Dilara Garifovna Tumasheva. In 1997 on the basis of department the Division of Oriental Languages which began to train specialists on the Arabic language was set up. In 2000, on the basis of the Department the Institute of Oriental Studies at Kazan State University was opened. Until 2012, the Department was engaged in training of specialists philologists on the Arabic, Chinese and Korean languages and literature of these countries. In 2011, the department was renamed into the Department of Arabic, in 2012 - the Department of Arabic philology.

Today the department trains bachelors and specialists in Arabic language and literature in the following fields:

032100.62 «Oriental and African Studies» - skills profile: «Languages and Literature of Asia and Africa: the Arabic» (bachelor's degree in specialization “Oriental and African Studies”);

031000 «Philology: Arabic, English and Arabic Literature» ("Philologist. Teacher").

In 2015 opening of a master's programme on the Arabic language and literature is planned at department.

Department of Arabic philology has been teaching the course "Arabic as the main foreign" for the students being trained in the following training fields: "International Relations", "Oriental and African Studies" (skills profile: "History of Asia and Africa"), "Religious Studies" (at the Faculty of Philosophy of KFU) "Theology" (at the Faculty of Philosophy of KFU).

The department has been studying various phenomena connected with modern and classical Arabic and Arabic literature.

Special attention is paid to research of interrelations of the Arabic and Tatar languages, as well as the study of Arabic textual manus­cripts of fund of the KFU scientific library.

The department focuses on the development of relations with foreign colleagues from oriental centres. Within such cooperation meetings of students, graduate students, teachers with scientists and politicians from the following foreign countries were organized: Arab Republic of Egypt, People's Republic of China, Islamic Republic of Iran, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Republic of Lebanon, Qatar, etc. The plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Korea in the Russian Federation, the Consul general of IRI, the cultural embassy secretary of the Arab Republic of Egypt in the Russian Federation, etc. made reports. Such communication promotes expansion of an outlook of students and helps to learn more about the country of the target language.