Lauren Willy speaks in Arabic during a video shoot.

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

US Cultural Attaché in the UAE Lauren Willy took everyone by surprise with her fluency in Arabic.

The seasoned diplomat greeted the people of the UAE in an Arabic video message on the occasion of World Arabic Language Day.

The World Arabic Language Day is observed annually on Dec.18.

The US Mission in the UAE shared the video on its Facebook page, which reads, “Celebrating World Arabic Language Day. US Cultural Attaché, Lauren Willy, talks about her passion for the Arabic language and how it has enriched her experience with Emirati culture in the UAE.”

Willy’s video message translates to, “I would like to share with you my enthusiasm to learn the Arabic Language.

“My colleagues at the US embassy learn the Arabic Language not only for the work but also for our interest and curiosity about the Arabic culture, history and heritage.

“Knowing the Arabic language here makes our experiment with the Emirati people more interesting and exciting.

“I would like to send you my greetings on the occasion of the international day of the Arabic Language.”

The event was established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 2010 seeking to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity as well as to promote equal use of all six of its official working languages throughout the organization.”