Learning Gulf Arabic: Step-by-Step

February 25, 2024

Gulf Arabic (also called Khaleeji) is the Arabic language variant spoken by the locals of the United Arab Emirates (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, etc.), Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, parts of eastern Saudi Arabia, most of Southern Iraq and, to a lesser extent, Oman. Gulf Arabs speak it as their mother tongue and as a status dialect. It is employed in daily conversations, business, discussion shows on TV and radio, motion pictures, and music. You receive an abundance of everyday and business-related vocabulary along with all the grammar you require to begin crafting your sentences and expressing your ideas. Every Arabic word and sentence has an audio version available, along with knowledge-testing quizzes.

In this article, we are highlighting on the importance and the various advantages of learning Gulf Arabic, and why it's crucial for anybody wishing to learn more about the language and culture and everything that is going on in your mind about the Gulf Arabic, you will find a detailed answer with us.

Benefits of Learning Gulf Arabic

There are several benefits in learning this language, whether you're doing it for professional or personal purposes. Here's why you should get started right away!

Learning Gulf Arabic provides limitless possibilities

Gaining proficiency in Arabic can lead to new opportunities for career and personal development. With an estimated GDP of $7.1 trillion, the Arab world has a lot to offer the global market. And contrary to popular belief, the market isn't restricted to a small number of jobs. Learning Gulf Arabic offers doors to a wide range of careers, both inside and outside the Arab world. The Arabian Gulf, for instance, invests heavily in industries including banking, tourism, telecommunications, and building.

One of the most popular occupations for those learning Arabic, both inside and outside of the Arab world, is translating and interpreting. In addition, several other industries, such as consulting, education, bilingual business, commerce, media, intelligence and foreign services, and education, demand Arabic speakers. Arabic speakers get decent incomes, which is another crucial element. For instance, according to Glassdoor, the starting compensation range for an Arabic language instructor working abroad is $79,110 to $167K annually.

Gulf Arabic lessons strengthen your social life

Undoubtedly, learning a foreign language facilitates communication with those around us, which immediately improves our social life by increasing the number of friends, acquaintances, and other people we may potentially meet. Additionally, because languages are so deeply ingrained in everything we do daily, they open doors to new subcultures that are found both inside and outside of the Middle East. This results in millions of eager learners being exposed to opportunities that are largely unavailable to English-speaking societies. For instance, the popular Hijabi fashion trend and the presence of Muslim people in various geographic locations across the world speak volumes about how welcoming Islam is to newcomers from all backgrounds, upbringings, ethnicities, races, gender identities, and so on.

How to learn the Gulf Arabic?

Learn the Arabic sounds and letters

Acquiring knowledge of the Arabic alphabet is a prerequisite for studying the Gulf dialect or Modern Standard Arabic. Even though non-Arabic speakers may find the Arabic alphabet frightening, it is a rather simple script made up of 28 letters, six of which are vowels. The good news is that learning the alphabet and the many ways to combine vowels and consonants shouldn't take more than three weeks. Usually, a week of consistent study time would be more than sufficient for learning Gulf Arabic for beginners.

Learn conversational skills of Gulf dialect

It is anticipated that you will be able to identify and read Arabic characters and a few words, such as those seen on road signs, business names, and menus, now that you know where to go to learn the fundamentals. The following task you have is to get proficient in the fundamentals of Gulf dialect communication. You will acquire the communication and survival skills needed to go about your everyday activities without using English. The goal of this level of instruction is to teach you how to greet people, place food orders, get directions, communicate with a doctor, and carry on social contacts. Like all other Arabic dialects, Gulf Arabic is mostly spoken orally, however Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) is appropriate for official correspondence, news broadcasts, and official documents. It is consequently expected of you to become more proficient in speaking and listening in the Gulf dialect.

Increase your exposure to Gulf dialect

You don’t have to wait until you finish your self-study books to start listening and watching Gulf dialect shows. You can start after a few weeks into your study path. You will definitely not understand everything and probably not even half of what you hear, but you will be training your ears and brain on identifying the sounds and associating them with meanings .

Practice speaking Gulf Arabic

This is probably the most fun and rewarding part of the whole learning journey as you get to practice what you have learned, make mistakes and improve your colloquial Gulf Arabic skills; but the most important part is that you’ll communicate in Gulf Arabic. It’s not an easy feat, and you should congratulate yourself for even trying to learn this dialect. The best method to practice and improve your Gulf speaking skills is to look for a Gulf dialect tutor nearby.

eArabic.io offers all learners a well-structured course, a positive and enjoyable learning environment, and educational support. You can choose whether you need to study Modern Standard Arabic, Gulf Colloquial Arabic, or a combined course of both. Apply now for Arabic courses.