Arabic is recognized as the official language of 26 different countries, as well as being the holy language of Islam and the Qoran. Arabic has the most speakers out of any of the Semitic languages. Different varieties of it serve as the native languages of over 230 million people, who generally live in North Africa or the Middle East.

Since Arabic is spoken in so many different countries, it has many dialects or varieties. The most common one that is often used as a lingua franca is Modern Standard Arabic or Literary Arabic. This variety is used in education, government, and even the media. It has its origins in Classical Arabic, which can be seen in some Arabic inscriptions pre-dating Islam from the 4th century. Arabic has its own alphabet and is written and read from right-to-left with an abjad script or writing system.

Egyptian Arabic is the most common variety in Egypt and is spoken by approximately 80 million Egyptians. Since Egyptian movies and TV shows are so popular throughout the Arab countries, almost everyone can speak and understand Egyptian Arabic.

In Iraq, Syria, and Iran, a few types of Arabic can be found. First, we have Iraqi Arabic, spoken in Iraq, western Iran, and eastern Syria. It is also called Mesopotamian Arabic. Next, we have North Mesopotamian Arabic, which is native to northern Iraq and Syria as well as southern Turkey and northern Iran. Finally, Levantine Arabic is a dialect group that is made up of Cypriot Arabic, North Levantine Arabic, South Levantine Arabic. You can hear it in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Israel, Palestine, Cyprus, and even Turkey.

Gulf Arabic, also known as Khaliji Arabic, is the dialect of most of the Arabian Peninsula, which includes Saudi Arabia, Oman, Yemen, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Bahrain. It is also spoken in parts of Iran.

At Alpha Omega Translations it is our priority to ensure your Arabic translation is relevant to the specific market and geographic area you are targeting. That’s why have Arabic translators who work exclusively with their particular native dialect or variety of Arabic, so there is never an issue with terms that are specific to one dialect or appropriate for the regional culture.