If you live or work in the Gulf, the first question is which Arabic to learn. The answer depends on where you live and who you talk to every day.

Modern Standard Arabic and the spoken dialects

Modern Standard Arabic is used in writing, news and formal speech. In daily life, people speak local dialects. These dialects share much of their vocabulary but differ in pronunciation, everyday words and expressions.

Saudi dialect

The Saudi dialect is the Arabic you hear in shops, offices, hospitals and homes across Saudi Arabia. If you work or live in Saudi Arabia, it is the most useful dialect for daily life, and it is widely understood across the Gulf.

Gulf (Khaleeji) Arabic

Gulf Arabic is the broad family of dialects spoken in the Arabian Peninsula, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain. Many everyday words are shared, so learning one Gulf dialect helps you understand the others.

UAE (Emirati) dialect

The UAE dialect is spoken by Emiratis in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and the other emirates. If you live in the UAE and want to speak with Emirati colleagues and neighbours, learning the UAE dialect is a good choice.

How to choose

  • Living or working in Saudi Arabia: start with the Saudi dialect
  • Living or working in the UAE: start with the UAE dialect
  • Healthcare staff in Saudi Arabia: choose a course built around the Saudi dialect used with patients
  • Elsewhere in the Gulf: pick the dialect of the people you speak with most

Learn spoken Arabic with live online classes

AlBurhan Arabic Academy teaches live online spoken Arabic courses in the Saudi dialect and the UAE dialect. See Arabic classes for Saudi Arabia or Arabic classes for the UAE, then book a free trial class.