Arabic is the fourth most commonly spoken language with 420 million native speakers globally. Classical Arabic first emerged in the Arabian peninsula 1000 years ago. Arabic has many dialects, but its three main forms are, Quranic Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic and Colloquial Arabic. Khaleeji or Gulf Arabic is mainly used in Qatar, UAE, Oman and parts of Saudi Arabia.

If you’re planning to move to Qatar, recently moved or just simply interested in the language & culture, here are some places where you can learn Arabic from:

Qatar University: A first of its kind, for non-Arabic speakers from around the world. The course is an open education course, launched on the edX worldwide e-learning platform. QU offers Arabic language certificate programs for non native speakers over six levels, from beginner to advanced.

The seats are limited to 15.
Contact - (+974) 4403-4444
Location - https://maps.app.goo.gl/GwsegyipgmYrZke69?g_st=ic

Excellence training centre: Offers a personalised course in spoken Arabic. They focus on the communicative functions required on a day to day basis. You can join online or face to face.

Duration - 3 months
Male and female tutors available.
Contact - +974 44360225
Location - https://maps.app.goo.gl/QBiWUy6Ec2BQ7EiJ9?g_st=ic

Educate learning centre: Educate teaches every aspect of the Modern Standard Arabic which helps a beginner to learn the language quickly. It is designed for a smaller group.

Duration - 4 levels + 1 optional level
Contact - +974 40063031
Location - https://maps.app.goo.gl/tqpvw9dGNNSMauQSA?g_st=ic

Takalam: This is a program launched by the government for teaching Arabic to non-speakers. ‘Wherever you are, just log in and the Arabic language opens its doors for you to learn and practise it; at home, at work, at your cafe or at your local library.’ The levels contain interactive activities in oral, visual, and written communication.

To know more, check out their website - https://www.islamweb.net/en/takalam/

Al Jazeera - Learning Arabic: Is a free educational web series ‘Arabic letters and voices’, that is interactual and makes it easy for learners to learn and improve their Arabic. It includes articles from the media, articles of the language of communication in daily life, authentic literary texts and grammatical rules as well as other linguistic knowledge. To know more contact,

Leaders training centre: Offers both spoken Arabic and writing classes and includes a variety of interactive exercises to keep you engaged.

Duration - 3 months
One to one training as well as group
Male and female tutors available
Contact - +974 44664321
Email: info@leaders.qa
Location - https://maps.app.goo.gl/b5rPUa6qW42V8Sy68?g_st=ic

After the FIFA world cup, there is a growing interest in Qatar and other Arab nations. So learning Arabic would be beneficial when it comes to interacting with the locals and understanding their culture.