Is English widely spoken in Saudi Arabia?

Arabic is the official language of Saudi Arabia, but English is widely spoken. It is used in business and is a compulsory second language in schools.

Do students learn English in Saudi Arabia?

English is taught throughout secondary schools in Saudi Arabia, and some students receive high scores in the subject in their school leaving exams. But when these same students enter our universities, they are found to have an inadequate level of ability in the language.

How did Arabic influence English?

Over the centuries many English words were either borrowed directly from the Arabic vocabulary or indirectly through other languages which were influenced by Arabic. Words such as ‘sugar’ ‘algebra’ ‘alcohol’ ‘lemon’ ‘alchemy’ ‘tulip’ and ‘cotton’ are all derived from Arabic.

Do you need to know Arabic to live in Saudi Arabia?

It is therefore beneficial for Saudis to speak English. They speak English when they need to, but Arabic remains their first language. They don’t speak English to each other, unless there are other people with them who do not speak Arabic. English will never replace Arabic in Saudi Arabia.

What countries speak Arabic and English?

However, there are around 25 Arab speaking countries that claim Arabic as an official or co-official language including Saudi Arabia, Chad, Algeria, Comoros, Eritrea, Djibouti, Egypt, Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Kuwait, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Bahrain, Tunisia.

What kind of Arabic do they speak in Saudi Arabia?

Peninsular Arabic are the varieties of Arabic spoken throughout the Arabian Peninsula. This includes the countries of Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Southern Iran, and Southern Iraq.

Are Arabic and English related?

Arabic is a Semitic language and English is an Indo-European language. The following words have been acquired either directly from Arabic or else indirectly by passing from Arabic into other languages and then into English.

What English words came from Arabic?

15 English Words You Wouldn’t Believe Were of Arabic Origin

• Coffee. Written in Arabic as: قهوة
• Giraffe. Written in Arabic as: زرافة
• Algebra. Written in Arabic as: الجبر
• Sofa. Written in Arabic as: صفّة
• Sugar. Written in Arabic as: سكّر
• Cotton. Written in Arabic as: قطن
• Safari. Written in Arabic as: سفر
• Ghoul.