Saudi Arabia has been considered a home for people from many different nationalities all over the world; this diversity of cultures and languages can be confusing and make you prompt this question: “What language does Saudi Arabia speak?” In this blog, you will learn the language of Saudi Arabia, its dialects, other minority languages of it, and most importantly, how to master this language in record time.
What Are the Top 3 Languages Spoken in Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia has different spoken languages due to the variety of people’s nationalities, in addition to the economic and commercial globalization, which makes it linguistically diverse. Here are the top three spoken languages in Saudi Arabia:
Arabic
It’s the mother tongue of Saudi people with multiple dialects spoken across the country.
English
As English is the global language, it’s commonly used by tourists and visitors. English is not limited to tourists, many young Saudi people tend to use it to look cool and go with the flow.
Other Languages
There are many other foreign languages because of the influx of workers from various nationalities, such as Hindi, Urdu, and Bengali.
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Dialects of Arabic in Saudi Arabia
We have said the mother tongue of Saudi people is Arabic. However, it’s rare to find them speaking classical Arabic, because of the differences among regions and lifestyles, they have many dialects of the Arabic language, which are:
Classical Arabic
Honestly, you will not find Saudi people in the street speaking Classical Arabic. Its eloquence limits it to be used just for formal occasions and scholarly pursuits.
Classical Arabic is the language of the Holy Quran, being an ancient language requires specific skills to be spoken that don’t exist in most people, that’s why it’s not common.
Modern Standard Arabic
It’s the most important dialect among the dialects. Actually, it’s a neutral dialect that everyone agrees on, which can be
learned from TV, podcasts, or radio.
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Gulf Arabic
It’s mainly spoken in “Riyadh”, the capital city of Saudi Arabia, we can say Gulf Arabic or khaliji Arabic, it’s the most common spoken dialect in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East. this dialect is the same as the rest of Gulf Arabic dialects in other countries with slide differences. It’s also widely spoken along the Persian Gulf shores in Saudi Arabia.
Hejazi Arabic
It’s mainly spoken in the western region of Saudi Arabia, around
8 million people from Mecca, Jeddah, Yanbu, and Medina speak this dialect.
Levantine Arabic
Although it’s not commonly used like other dialects, it’s considered a leading regional dialect. Aside from, the Levantine Arabic writing system is used all over Saudi Arabia and the Arabian Peninsula.
Egyptian Arabic
It’s mainly spoken in the western region of Saudi Arabia, where many
Egyptians land. Most Saudi people are good at Egyptian Arabic and understand it well because they are influenced by Egyptian movies that are widely watched throughout the Arab world.
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Najdi Arabic
It’s mainly used in the central region of Saudi Arabia, people that speak the Najdi Arabic dialect are up to 8 million. It includes different sub-dialects that are:
1-Central Najdi
This is the urban dialect spoken in Saudi Arabia, specifically, the capital city of Saudi Arabia “Riyadh”, people of Riyadh speak it as the second language. Central Najdi is distinguished by being different from standard Arabic.
2-Northern Najdi
The Northern Najdi dialect is commonly used among Zufi, Qaseem, and Jabal Shammar people in Saudi Najda. People around the Syrian desert also use this dialect in their speech.
3-Southern Najdi
This dialect has been considered the least spoken language in Saudi Arabia because there are no longer people speaking it except some tribes in south-central Saudi, particularly in the Kharj city, some nearby towns, and villages.
We have come to the most important point: what is the spoken dialect among all of these? Well, in Saudi Arabia they primarily use Gulf Arabic coupled with Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). They can be reliable to use while speaking, greetings, and common expressions.
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What Language Does Saudi Arabia Speak?
It is common knowledge that the official language of Saudi Arabia is Arabic. But wait a minute, actually Arabic is the mother tongue for Saudi people, therefore they don’t use the classical version of Arabic in regular conversations. It’s considered a written language more than a spoken one.
It’s still used by religious scholars and you can find it in poetry or classical works as well.
Thus, what is the spoken language in Saudi Arabia? It’s Modern Standard Arabic “MSA”. It is the most widely spoken language version that is used in the streets, shops, and schools.
Notably, Modern Standard Arabic is the latest version of Classical Arabic, which means they are partially the same, but Classical Arabic is more eloquent.
The importance of Classical Arabic can’t be ignored, as you primarily have to master it to be able to deal with government officials and official matters.
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Other Minority Languages of Saudi Arabia
There is a wide foreign population in Saudi Arabia that is flowing due to the rich oil business. From all directions, each foreigner comes to Saudi Arabia speaking his native language. As a result, you can find minority languages in Saudi Arabia, such as:
The Urdu Language
Around 390,000 Pakistani people, who work and live in Saudi Arabia, speak the Urdu language.
The Tagalog Language
Around 700,000 Philippines, who are expatriates in Saudi Arabia seeking work, speak the Tagalog language.
The Rohingya Language
Around 400,000 people from Myanmar that live in Saudi Arabia, speak the Rohingya Language.
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What Is the Easiest Arabic Language to Learn?
Among multiple dialects, you can feel lost as to what you should learn to deal with different situations in Arabic. There are some steps to reach the easiest Arabic language to learn:
- You have to land on a solid foundation, which is learning the modern standard Arabic (MSA).
- In this phase, you learn how to handle formal issues and read academic research or books.
- You can also use this language to speak to people formally.
- However, you will yet to be qualified to communicate naturally with people in the street or at the market.
- So, you turn to the second phase, which is picking out an easy Arabic language to learn.
- Many people tend to speak Egyptian Arabic, because it’s the most common dialect in the Arab world and most importantly, it’s the easiest dialect among the other Arabic dialects.
- You can learn it easily by following this method, “Echo”, which means imitating what you hear. You can imitate what you watch and hear in TV shows, songs, and movies.
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Where Arabic Is Spoken Worldwide?
Around the world, there are many Arab people who speak Arabic. It’s spoken in 25 Arab countries, which are located in the Arab World. Including:
- The Middle East.
- North Africa.
- The Arabian Peninsula.
Countries that are in the Arab world claim the Arabic language as an official language, such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Morocco, Egypt, and Palestine.
On the other hand, some countries take Arabic as a national language along with their native languages, such as Mali, Iran, and Turkey.
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Interesting Facts about the Arabic Language
Up to 350 million people speak the Arabic language around the world, varying among many dialects. It’s one of the widest internationally popular. Ready to dive into some interesting facts about it?
- Muslims around the globe have a deep-rooted affection for Arabic, because it’s the sacred text of the Quran that indicates how great this language is.
- Arabic originated in the deserts of the Arabian peninsula, where it evolved from Aramaic by Bedouin nomadic tribes a long time ago.
- The Arabic language belongs to the Central Semitic language family that consists of Phoenician, Aramaic, Arabic, and Hebrew.
- It is one of the six official languages that are recognized by the United Nations.
- The Arabic language was widely spread across many parts of earth, in the 7th century, such as North Africa, China, Asia, and the Middle East. Some countries there still maintain the Arabic language, meanwhile others abandoned it.
- It is not limited to Classical Arabic “Fosha”, which is the language of the Holy Quran. By that time, it has evolved until it reaches 30 different dialects.
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Learning the Arabic Language in Saudi Arabia
Arabic can open you many ways to communicate with Arabs, who reach more than 466 million people. Arab countries have gone through unparalleled developments in many sectors, like real estate, business development, and oil extraction.
Integrating into the Arabic language can boost your career, taking it to a higher level. Don’t waste more time without taking practical steps in learning the Arabic language. All you have to do is just to get in touch with the Al-Walid Academy team and you will be informed with the whole details you need to know about learning the Arabic language in Saudi Arabia.
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Why Is Al-Walid Your Ultimate Destination When It Comes to Learning Arabic?
- You will learn through Arabic native teachers who have a wide knowledge of the Saudi Arabian dialect.
- Simplified curriculums that give you the value you are seeking without any struggle.
- Practicing and speaking from day one.
- There are many courses that cover all your needs to be an Arabic fluent speaker.
- Affordable prices that suit different budgets.
Conclusion
Last but not least, we discussed the language Saudi Arabia speaks and all relevant factors. The Arabic language and its various dialects can pile up in your mind if you don’t follow an efficient and systematic curriculum with experts that are qualified to clear up each detail for you. So, choosing the right place to learn plays a vital role in your learning journey.