Middle East and North Africa: Language

Some of the official MENA Languages:

• Arabic
• English
• Greek
• Hebrew
• Persian
• Turkish
• Kurdish

Did you know that there are different and distinct Arabic dialects spoken in different parts of the Arab world? Some may even consider them entirely different languages, particularly the dialects in the North African region (aside from Egyptian). Standard Arabic is not commonly used on an everyday basis but some Arabs will learn to use it to be able to communicate with other Arabs who are unfamiliar with their dialect. Below is a map that indicates the regions that each dialect is most commonly spoken.

Language fun facts:

• Arabic, Hebrew, Persian, and Kurdish are all read from right to left.
• Arabic is the most spoken language in the Middle East.
• Arabic is the second most challenging language to learn for English-speakers.
• Arabic is the language that the Quran was revealed in, and although translations exist, non-Arab speaking Muslims will still memorize the Arabic Quran to preserve it.
• Arabic script is used for Arabic as well as other languages, including Persian, Kurdish, and Urdu. (Arabic script shown below)