ABSTRACT
The phenomenon of English as a lingua franca (ELF) has become a subject of considerable research during the past decade, and findings from different parts of the world continue to enrich our understanding of this phenomenon. Research into ELF, however, has been carried out extensively in a relatively limited number of geographical locations: predominantly in Europe and East Asia. Therefore, investigating ELF in other parts of the world is essential if we want a better understanding of how it operates. This chapter presents a brief account of the use of English as a de facto lingua franca in the Gulf Cooperation Council (henceforth GCC) states. It also presents a historical account of English in the GCC area. The chapter then looks at the current uses of English in the GCC area and attitudes toward its widening use. It presents findings from research on business English as a lingua franca (BELF) in Saudi multinational corporations (MNCs).
