ABSTRACT
This book has been written for anyone who needs to acquire a solid working knowledge of the educated colloquial Arabic spoken in an area extending from Basra in southern Iraq, down through Kuwait, Bahrain, eastern Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman. No previous knowledge of Arabic is assumed. The emphasis is on the acquisition of a working knowledge; therefore, language items needed at the major points of social contact between Gulf Arabs and western residents are given pride of place. Teachers, engineers, businessmen and others who need to be able to communicate in spoken Arabic in schools, offices, shops, markets and construction sites should find this book highly useful. Grammatical explanation is given only where it serves some clarificatory purpose, and much of the book is given over to examples and exercises of a type which the writer hopes the learner will find relevant in coping with day-to-day living in the Gulf. Some reading texts also deal with the customs and beliefs common to the area.
