Published textbook series and single textbooks for teaching Modern Standard Arabic to non-native speakers, from Saudi Arabia and beyond. Each entry gives the publisher, editions, levels, audience, language of instruction, components, and published evaluation studies.
A listing and description only, not a judgement of quality: we give the facts and do not rate the books; the studies cited are their authors' views. What we could not confirm is marked "not known".
Adults · 4 levels
Arabic Language Teaching Series (Imam University)
سلسلة تعليم اللغة العربية · Arabic Language Institute, Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University · Saudi Arabia
- Levels: 4 levels, 33 student books
- Language of instruction: Arabic
- Components: Student books, 4 handwriting workbooks, 5 teacher's guides and a dictionary for each level
The institute's own curriculum, combining language courses with Islamic studies for Muslim learners.
Studies about it (2)
Adults · 3 books of 23
Arabic Course for English-Speaking Students (the Madinah Books)
دروس اللغة العربيّة لغير الناطقين بها · Dr V. Abdur Rahim, Islamic University of Madinah · Saudi Arabia
- Editions: Many printings, including a British edition since 2007
- Levels: 3 books of 23, 31 and 34 lessons
- Language of instruction: Arabic, with an English key
- Components: The three books and a three-volume key with explanations and answers
Organised by grammar topics. No purchase link is given, as not all of its many printings are licensed.
Studies about it (1)
Adults
Arabic for Life (King Saud University)
العربيّة للحياة · Arabic Linguistics Institute, King Saud University · Saudi Arabia
- Editions: From 1977
- Levels: 4 books of 10 units each
- Language of instruction: Arabic
- Components: Student book
Described as the first series for teaching Arabic to non-native speakers published in Saudi Arabia.
Studies about it (1)
- عمر الصديق عبد الله، تحليل محتوى كتب تعليم العربية «العربية للحياة نموذجًا»، مجلة العربية للناطقين بغيرها، جامعة إفريقيا العالميّة، ٢٠٠٤ (published article)
Adults
Arabic for the World
العربيّة للعالم · King Saud University Press · Saudi Arabia
- Editions: Trial edition 2010, approved edition 2012
- Levels: 5 books; the fourth for diplomats and the fifth for business people
- Language of instruction: Arabic
- Components: Student book and audio CD
Studies about it (1)
Adults · 4 levels in 8 volumes
Arabic Between Your Hands
العربيّة بين يديك · Arabic for All, Riyadh · Saudi Arabia
- Editions: First edition 2000, revised edition 2014
- Levels: 4 levels in 8 volumes
- Language of instruction: Arabic only
- Components: Student book, teacher's book, audio, picture dictionary, placement test, app and online platform
Special editions exist in Egypt, Afghanistan, China, Bosnia, Indonesia and Turkey.
Studies about it (2)
Adults
Arabic: A Bridge to Islamic Culture
العربيّة جسرٌ للثقافة الإسلاميّة · Dr Mamdouh Nour al-Din Muhammad, Dar al-Andalus al-Khadra, Jeddah · Saudi Arabia
- Editions: 2003
- Levels: 4 books of 10 lessons each
- Language of instruction: Arabic, with English vocabulary lists in the first two books
- Components: Student books, teacher's guide and tapes
Its texts are Islamic; it belongs to Arabic for specific purposes.
Adults
Al-Kitab al-Asasi
الكتاب الأساسي في تعليم اللغة العربيّة لغير الناطقين بها · ALECSO, later AUC Press · Tunisia and Egypt
- Editions: Cairo edition 2008–2009
- Levels: 3 volumes and a companion dictionary
- Language of instruction: Arabic
- Components: Student books, audio CD and a companion dictionary
Sources differ on its authorship.
Studies about it (1)
Adults
Arabic Reading for Muslims
سلسلة القراءة العربيّة للمسلمين · A team led by Dr Mahmoud Ismail Sini, Librairie du Liban, Beirut · Lebanon
- Editions: Part one 1991
- Levels: Several parts of 30 lessons each
- Language of instruction: Arabic
- Components: Texts with comprehension, vocabulary and grammar exercises; answers and a glossary at the end of each book
For reading religious texts. From the author's own guide to Arabic teaching series.
Adults
Simplified Arabic Grammar series
سلسلة القواعد العربيّة الميسّرة · Mahmoud Ismail Saleh, Muhammad al-Rifai al-Sheikh and Ibrahim al-Sayyid, King Saud University Press · Saudi Arabia
- Levels: 3 levels of 24 lessons each
- Language of instruction: Arabic
- Components: Student book
Its vocabulary follows Dawood Abdo's frequency list. From the author's own guide to Arabic teaching series.
Adults · 3 parts
Graded Arabic Reading series
سلسلة القراءة العربيّة المتدرّجة · Adel Muhammad Shaaban, supervised by Dr Mahmoud Ismail Sini, King Saud University · Saudi Arabia
- Levels: 3 parts, each built on a further thousand frequent words
- Language of instruction: Arabic
- Components: Reading texts
Described as the first Arabic reader built on word-frequency studies.
Adults · 3 booklets
Speak Arabic
هيّا نتكلّم العربيّة · Mahmoud Ismail Saleh, Nasif Mustafa Abdulaziz and Mukhtar al-Tahir Hussein, Maktabat al-Tawbah, Riyadh · Saudi Arabia
- Editions: First a radio series on Riyadh's English service, then booklets
- Levels: 3 booklets, 48 lessons
- Language of instruction: Arabic and English: each dialogue with its translation
- Components: Dialogues and vocabulary lists
From the author's own guide to Arabic teaching series.
Adults · 4 levels
At-Takallum
التكلّم · Saber al-Meshrefy, Suad al-Khouly and Abu Owais Mahmoud; Dar al-Burj, Cairo, with a Bosnian edition by El-Kalem · Egypt and Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Levels: 4 levels: A1, A2, B1, B2
- Language of instruction: Arabic
- Components: Student book and workbook per level, and a picture glossary
Adults · Single book
Arabic for Beginners (King Saud University)
العربيّة للمبتدئين للناطقين بلغاتٍ أخرى · Rashid al-Duwaish, Mustafa Sulaiman and Ahmad Hammad, King Saud University · Saudi Arabia
- Editions: 2003
- Levels: 15 lessons for beginners
- Language of instruction: Arabic
From the 2020 guide to Arabic teaching series.
Adults · Single book
Arabic for Medical Staff (King Saud University)
العربيّة للعاملين في المجال الطبّيّ من الناطقين بلغاتٍ أخرى · Dr Rashid al-Duwaish and colleagues, King Saud University Press · Saudi Arabia
- Editions: 1997
- Language of instruction: Arabic
Arabic for specific purposes, built on a needs survey in seven Riyadh hospitals. From the 2020 guide to Arabic teaching series.
Adults · Single book
Programmed Arabic Grammar for Self-Study
النحو العربيّ المبرمج للتعليم الذاتيّ · Mahmoud Ismail Sini, Muhammad al-Rifai al-Sheikh and Dafallah Ahmad Saleh, King Saud University Press · Saudi Arabia
- Editions: 1987
- Language of instruction: Arabic
For self-study. From the 2020 guide to Arabic teaching series.
Adults · Single book
Learn Arabic Morphology by Yourself
تعلّم الصرفَ العربيَّ بنفسك · Mahmoud Ismail Sini and colleagues, Dar al-Marrikh, Riyadh · Saudi Arabia
- Editions: 1988
- Language of instruction: Arabic
For self-study. From the 2020 guide to Arabic teaching series.
Children
Arabic at Our Children's Hands
العربيّة بين يدي أولادنا · Arabic for All, Riyadh · Saudi Arabia
- Editions: 2018
- Levels: 12 volumes according to the publisher
- Language of instruction: Arabic
- Components: Student book with exercises, teacher's book, software, audio and video
School students · 6 books
Arabic for Young Learners
العربيّة للناشئين · Ministry of Education, Riyadh · Saudi Arabia
- Editions: 1983, later reprinted by other publishers
- Levels: 6 books
- Language of instruction: Arabic
- Components: Pupil's book and teacher's book
For learners aged about 12 to 18. The ministry's printing is out of print.
Studies about it (1)
Children · 14 stages
I Love Arabic
أحبّ العربيّة · Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States, Riyadh · Saudi Arabia (a Gulf body based in Riyadh)
- Editions: 1990
- Levels: 14 stages, from kindergarten to grade 12
- Language of instruction: Arabic
- Components: Pupil's book, workbook, teacher's book, tapes, cards and charts, and a picture dictionary
Studies about it (1)
- طلال المراشدة، «الخصائص اللغوية والنفسية لنصوص الكتاب السادس من سلسلة كتب أحب العربية»، ٢٠٢٣ (published article)
School students · Volumes for beginners
Durus al-Lughah al-'Arabiyyah (Gontor)
دروس اللغة العربيّة على الطريقة الحديثة · Imam Zarkasyi and Imam Syubani, Pondok Modern Darussalam Gontor · Indonesia
- Levels: Volumes for beginners
- Language of instruction: Arabic, by the direct method
- Components: Student book
Taught in Indonesia's modern Islamic boarding schools.
Studies about it (1)
School students · 3 parts
Al-Qira'a al-Rashida
القراءة الراشدة · Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi · India
- Editions: Written 1942–1944
- Levels: 3 parts
- Language of instruction: Arabic only
- Components: Graded reading texts
A graded reader for young students of religious schools rather than a full course.
A listing and description, not a judgement of quality. Inclusion rule: an identifiable publisher, a published series or single book, and Modern Standard Arabic. We link only to official pages; a book without one is listed without a link. Most details of the Saudi series come from the 2020 guide to Arabic teaching series published by the King Abdullah International Center for the Arabic Language.
