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".
University students · 4 books
Al-Kitaab fii Ta'allum al-'Arabiyya
الكتاب في تعلّم العربيّة · Georgetown University Press · United States
Built on Modern Standard Arabic, but the third edition's video dialogues also use Egyptian and Levantine Arabic.
- Editions: From 1995; third edition 2011–2014
- Levels: 4 books: Alif Baa, then parts 1–3, beginner to advanced
- Language of instruction: English
- Components: Student book, answer key, audio and video, and a paid online platform
Studies about it (2)
- Awad, M. (2005), review of the second edition, LINGUIST List (review)
- Coffin, E. (2006), review of Part One (2nd ed.), MESA Bulletin (review)
University students · Two volumes
Ahlan wa Sahlan: Functional Modern Standard Arabic
أهلًا وسهلًا · Yale University Press · United States
- Editions: Third edition 2021
- Levels: Two volumes: beginners and intermediate
- Language of instruction: English, then Arabic only from lesson ten
- Components: Letters-and-sounds book, student book, audio and video, and a teacher's edition
University students
Arabic for Life: A Textbook for Beginning Arabic
العربيّة للحياة (ييل) · Bassam Frangieh, Yale University Press · United States
- Editions: 2011
- Levels: One volume for beginners, reaching early intermediate
- Language of instruction: English
- Components: The book, with more than 80 videos and 100 audio files
General · Two volumes
Mastering Arabic
إتقان العربيّة · Jane Wightwick and Mahmoud Gaafar, Bloomsbury · United Kingdom
- Editions: Fourth edition 2024
- Levels: Two volumes (beginner and intermediate), plus a grammar book and a workbook
- Language of instruction: English
- Components: A full-colour book with free online audio and video
University students · Elementary
Elementary and Intermediate Modern Standard Arabic
العربيّة الفصحى المعاصرة (سلسلة ميشيغان) · Peter Abboud et al., University of Michigan, later Cambridge University Press · United States and United Kingdom
- Editions: From 1971; an advanced volume in 2023
- Levels: Elementary (two volumes), intermediate and advanced
- Language of instruction: English
- Components: Student books and audio recordings
Adults · 6 books
Lughatuna al-Fusha: A New Course in Modern Standard Arabic
لغتنا الفصحى · Samia Louis, AUC Press · Egypt
- Editions: 2010–2015
- Levels: 6 books, beginner to advanced
- Language of instruction: English
- Components: Student book and interactive online exercises
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)
University students · Two volumes
Méthode d'arabe
منهج العربيّة (دوهوفلس) · Luc-Willy Deheuvels, L'Asiathèque · France
- Editions: 2022; preceded by Manuel d'arabe moderne from 1993
- Levels: Two volumes: A1–A2, and B1–B2 in preparation
- Language of instruction: French
- Components: Student book, free audio, two glossaries and answers
University students · Two parts
Lehrbuch des modernen Arabisch / Standard Arabic
كتاب العربيّة الحديثة (كرال ورويشل وشولتس) · Günther Krahl, Wolfgang Reuschel and Eckehard Schulz · Germany
- Editions: From 1976; English edition by Cambridge, 2000
- Levels: Two parts
- Language of instruction: German, and English in the Cambridge edition
- Components: Student book and keys
University students · Several volumes
新编阿拉伯语 (New Arabic Course)
العربيّة الجديدة · FLTRP with Beijing Foreign Studies University · China
- Levels: Several volumes
- Language of instruction: Chinese
- Components: Student book and teacher's guide
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 · 6 parts
Arabic of the Quran
عربيّةُ القرآن · Mahmoud Ismail Saleh and colleagues, Arabic without Boundaries · South Africa
- Levels: 6 parts: 50 lessons each in the first four, 25 in the last two
- Language of instruction: Not known
- Components: Texts and exercises on Quranic vocabulary, structures and styles, with Quranic reading passages
For reading and comprehension only. From the author's own guide to Arabic teaching series.
Adults · 7 levels
Teach Me Arabic
علّمني العربيّة · Islam Presentation Committee, Kuwait · Kuwait
- Levels: 7 levels
- Language of instruction: Not known
- Components: Vocabulary and structures for daily life and dealings
For new Muslims and resident communities.
Adults · 5 parts
The Road to Arabic
الطريق إلى العربيّة · Fanar Qatar Islamic Cultural Center, Doha · Qatar
- Levels: 5 parts
- Language of instruction: Not known
University students
Полный курс литературного арабского языка
الدورةُ الكاملة في العربيّة الفصحى · Vladimir Lebedev, VKN, Moscow · Russia
- Editions: Final stage 2017
- Levels: Successive stages; the last in two volumes
- Language of instruction: Russian
- Components: Authentic texts and exercises
University students · Alatul for beginners
Alatul / Mabruk
Alatul وMabruk · Victoria Aguilar and colleagues, Herder and Diego Marín · Spain
- Editions: 2010 and 2014
- Levels: Alatul for beginners, Mabruk for A2.1
- Language of instruction: Spanish
University students · 3 parts
Comunicare in arabo
Monica Ruocco and colleagues (University of Naples L'Orientale), Hoepli · Italy
- Editions: 2022–2024
- Levels: 3 parts: A1–A2, A2–B1, B1–B2
- Language of instruction: Italian
- Components: Dialogues, texts, grammar and audio
Includes cultural notes on dialects; its basis is Modern Standard Arabic.
University students · Two parts
Grammatica teorico-pratica della lingua araba
نحوُ العربيّة النظريُّ والتطبيقيّ (فيتشا فالييري) · Laura Veccia Vaglieri, Istituto per l'Oriente, Rome · Italy
- Editions: From 1937; tenth printing 2006
- Levels: Two parts: morphology and basic syntax, then exercises
- Language of instruction: Italian
A teaching grammar with exercises.
University students · Two parts
Yallā: A Textbook of Modern Standard Arabic
يلّا (Yallā) · Shukri Gohar and David Nanskivell (McGill University), Cambridge University Press · Canada and United Kingdom
- Editions: 2023
- Levels: Two parts: beginner to upper intermediate
- Language of instruction: English
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
University students · Single book
Учебник арабского языка (Kovalev & Sharbatov)
كتابُ العربيّة (كوفاليف وشرباتوف) · A. A. Kovalev and G. Sh. Sharbatov, Vostochnaya Literatura, Moscow · Russia
- Editions: First edition 1960, third 1998
- Levels: One volume, beginner to intermediate
- Language of instruction: Russian, comparing the grammar of both languages
University students · Single book
Corso di arabo contemporaneo
Olivier Durand, Angela Daniela Langone and Giuliano Mion, Hoepli · Italy
- Editions: 2010
- Levels: One beginners' volume with exercises
- Language of instruction: Italian
Children · 7 graded books
Gateway to Arabic
بوّابة العربيّة · Imran Hamza Alawiye, Anglo-Arabic Graphics · United Kingdom
- Editions: From about 2002
- Levels: 7 graded books, extension books and a handwriting book
- Language of instruction: English
- Components: Student book, answer book and audio CDs
Mainly for children and teenagers and for Islamic schools in the West.
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
Arapça Ders Kitabı (Turkish Ministry of National Education)
كتب العربيّة لثانويّات الأئمّة والخطباء · Turkish Ministry of National Education (MEB) · Turkey
- Editions: Successive editions, last updated in 2026
- Levels: One book per grade in middle and high school
- Language of instruction: Turkish with Arabic
- Components: Combined student book and workbook, and a teacher's guide
Studies about it (1)
School students · One book per grade
Buku Bahasa Arab (Ministry of Religious Affairs)
كتب اللغة العربيّة للمدارس الدينيّة · Ministry of Religious Affairs, Directorate General of Islamic Education · Indonesia
- Editions: 2020, on the 2019 curriculum
- Levels: One book per grade, primary to high school
- Language of instruction: Indonesian and Arabic
- Components: Student book and teacher's guide
State-owned and distributed free.
School students · One book per grade
Arabi, Zaban-e Quran (Iranian school books)
العربيّة، لغةُ القرآن (عربی، زبان قرآن) · Organization for Educational Research and Planning, Ministry of Education · Iran
- Editions: Reprinted yearly
- Levels: One book per grade, 7 to 12
- Language of instruction: Persian
- Components: Student book
School students · 4 parts
Arabi ka Muallim
معلّمُ العربيّة (عربی کا معلّم) · Maulvi Abdus Sattar Khan; published among others by Qadeemi Kutub Khana, Karachi · India and Pakistan
- Editions: Since at least 1945, still in print
- Levels: 4 parts, with a four-booklet key
- Language of instruction: Urdu and Arabic
- Components: Student book and the Kalid-e Jadid key
For students of religious schools in the Indian subcontinent.
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.
School students · Grades 10 and 11
Excelling Arabic
Kenya Literature Bureau · Kenya
- Editions: On Kenya's new competency-based curriculum, 2025–2026
- Levels: Grades 10 and 11
- Language of instruction: Not known
- Components: Student book and teacher's guide
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.
