Welcome to the Arab World

Watch the introduction video, then read the short summary below.

The Arab world stretches from Morocco on the Atlantic coast to Oman on the Indian Ocean. It is made up of 22 countries and more than 400 million people who share one written language, Arabic, and a great deal of history, faith and tradition.

One culture or many?

Both. A family in Cairo, a village in the mountains of Lebanon and a modern city on the Gulf each live Arab culture in their own way: the food, the dialect, the music and even the way people dress change from region to region. At the same time, some things are shared almost everywhere — the importance of hospitality, respect for the family, a deep relationship with religion, and a love of language and poetry. This course focuses on those shared basics.

What you will learn

How to greet people and respond politely (Lesson 2)
How hospitality works and how to be a good guest (Lesson 3)
What family means and how Arabic names work (Lesson 4)
How religion shapes daily life (Lesson 5)
Food, table manners and shared meals (Lesson 6)
Dress, gestures and body language (Lesson 7)
Celebrations, music and calligraphy (Lesson 8)
The Arabic language: Fuṣḥā, dialects and words that open doors (Lesson 9)
Time, markets, business and everyday life (Lesson 10)

Key words

العالم العربي	al-ʿālam al-ʿarabī	the Arab world
مرحباً	marḥaban	hello
شكراً	shukran	thank you

Culture tip: Arabs are proud of their region and their country. Asking someone where they are from — and knowing a little about that place — is a wonderful way to start a conversation.

See it for real

The difference between the Arab countries (Geography Now)

A walk through Khan el-Khalili market, Cairo

Short videos by their creators on YouTube, chosen to illustrate this lesson.

Match the Arabic word with its meaning

Click a word on the left, then its meaning on the right.