Which Arabic? A plain guide for PR and marketing teams

Almost every Arabic project in the UAE and Saudi market starts the same way.

Client: We want this done in Arabic, please.

Me: Sure. Which dialect or variant? Where will it run? Who is it for? Which country, and what time of year?

Client: ...

Me: Okay. Let's schedule a call.

That surprised reaction is a regular part of my week, and it is completely fair. If Arabic is not your first language, there's a good chance that nobody has ever told you there is more than one way to say "in Arabic".

So this post is that exact same call, but in writing. By the end you will know what we weigh up before writing a single word, which helps you pick the right Arabic partner and check that every box is ticked before the work goes to your client.

Two Arabics, one language

Here is the part you should know: Arabic is diglossic. Without getting technical, it means one language with two varieties, and each has its own job.

• Modern Standard Arabic, or MSA for short (you will also hear it called al Fusha). This is the official form of the language.

• Dialect. This is the language of everyday life. When two Arabs chat in real life, they are speaking dialect (colloquial, if you want the fancy word).

Dialects change from country to country, and even inside the same country. Don't let that overwhelm you, because it works the same way in every language. Think of British English versus American English. Then think of a Southern accent versus a Boston accent. Easy, right?

MSA: the suit

MSA is, as the name suggests, standardized across the Arab world (with a few nuances you really don't need to know about here). It is the language of written text. So when we localize a press release, a website, an announcement or a menu, we do it in MSA. It is also the same in the UAE and KSA, so one MSA version works for both markets.

As a rule of thumb, MSA is the written variety. That is why it is also the language of the written press in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. So when you are working on a written Q&A, commentary or quotes that will go to Arabic media, it is always MSA.

MSA is also the official language, so it shows up in official spoken settings too:

• A keynote by your spokesperson at an event is almost certainly going to be in it.

• A TV anchor reading the news on national television uses it.

• A press conference between diplomats is normally held in it.

In all of these, MSA gives the words weight, formality, respect and seriousness. It is the suit of the language.

Credit: Al Eqtisadiya, Asharq Al-Awsat, Al Khaleej and Al Bayan (logos and headlines, 4 and 5 November 2026)

MSA also carries weight and officiality, so it signals confidence. That is why luxury brands lean on it.

Let's take the Mercedes-Benz 140th anniversary page below. It ticks all the boxes: written content, a website facing clients, and a message that signals luxury and heritage.

Credit: Mercedes-Benz Qatar, 140 Years of Innovation page (screenshot, November 2026)

Why MSA works here: This is a heritage message from a brand that has been building cars since 1886. The headline, "140 years of innovation", sounds confident, timeless and premium in MSA, and it reads the same to a customer anywhere in the Arab world.

Dialect: the jeans

Every country has its own distinctive dialect, and the UAE and Saudi Arabia are no exception. Dialects tend to resemble each other based on geography, but only resemble.

Dialect is the spoken language of everyday life: conversations, podcasts, morning TV shows, and entertainment content like reels, YouTube and TikTok.

Social media added a twist. Colloquial Arabic never had much room to be written down in large volumes before. Now it does, and you will find plenty of dialect in writing. An influencer captioning a post in dialect is completely normal, and honestly expected.

Creative advertising is the other growing space. When a brand wants to speak more directly and warmly, it increasingly uses dialect for slogans and taglines. It feels familiar and closer to the audience.

A brilliant example is Etisalat's recent campaign for its 50th anniversary. It uses the dialect to bring back memories of the family landline and tell a story that runs across generations.

Credit: Etisalat 50th anniversary billboard, via ooh.ae (30 October 2026)

Why dialect works here: The campaign is about memory, family and the first call home. The Arabic line (roughly, “the good old generation, a ring that brings the far close”) speaks the way people talk at home, so it sounds like a grandparent and not a telecom company. The English line, “Every call home started here”, carries the same idea in different words.

Quick cheat sheet

A rule of thumb by content type. Always check it against your audience and brand.

Before you brief your Arabic partner

Here is the call from the top of this post, as a list. If your partner doesn't ask you these, that is your cue to worry.

1. Which Arabic? MSA or dialect, and if dialect, which one?

2. Where will it appear? Media, channel and format all matter.

3. Who is it for? The audience decides the tone.

4. Which country? MSA travels across the UAE and KSA unchanged. Dialect does not, so if it is on the table, name the market and work with a native speaker of it.

5. What time of year? National Days and holidays change what sounds right.

Summary

• Arabic is diglossic: one language, two varieties, each with its own job.

• MSA is the official, written form. Use it for press releases, websites, announcements, menus and formal speeches.

• Dialect is the language of everyday life. Use it for social media, entertainment and creative campaigns that want to sound warm and familiar.

• Dialects differ by country, so "Arabic dialect" is never one thing. MSA, on the other hand, is the same in the UAE and KSA.

• Dialect feels less official, which is why luxury and formal settings lean on MSA.

• Before you brief a partner, settle five things: which Arabic, where it appears, who it is for, which country, and what time of year.
  
  

  Not sure which Arabic your next piece needs? Send it over and I will tell you. You can reach us at lexica.ae.