World Englishes in the Arab Gulf States

Kay Gallagher gathers insightful research from across the lower Arabian gulf to uncover the richness and diversity of World Englishes within the contemporary Arab Gulf states. Her volume presents novel research from this emerging nexus of rapid economic, social, and linguistic development.

The countries of the lower Arabian Gulf (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates) have, to varying degrees, harnessed English as an internal working language and as a means to communicate globally. Gulf countries that have not featured much in the WE literature to date are highlighted in this volume, including Bahrain and Kuwait, and the use of English in the emerging colossus of Saudi Arabia is examined. Novel insights from more prominent locations are presented here for the first time, including the use of English to counter negative Islamic stereotypes during the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, and its role in ensuring safety in a multilingual, high-risk industry in the UAE. New research into the challenges encountered in English-medium higher education in Oman and Kuwait is reported also. The linguistic features of “Gulf English” are explored, and the interplay and tensions between Arabic and English and other languages are addressed. The Englishes of expatriate populations in the Gulf are examined, including the English identity of majority and minority resident transnational groups. The issue of whether a distinctive variety of Gulf English has emerged in this multilingual melting pot, characterized by transience and flux, is debatable, and the establishment of “Gulf English” as an endonormative new variety remains elusive.

This book will appeal to those with an interest in World Englishes in general, as well as those who are interested in the roles and varieties of English in use in this globally unique and rapidly evolving context.The six states of the Lower Gulf - Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) - form an economic and political alliance known as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The region’s oil-rich economies have attracted millions of migrant workers, both blue-collar and white-collar, from East and West. Transnational workers have brought linguistic diversity along with multiple varieties of English to this traditionally Arabic-speaking region, amplifying an increased internal demand for English, such that English is shifting in the Gulf from a foreign language to a lingua franca.

"Professor Kay Gallagher brings together exciting new research in World Englishes from the Arab Gulf states in this book. With strong academic connections and many parallels between Singapore and Gulf states such as the UAE and Bahrain, the chapters in this volume featuring both established and emerging scholars in the field explore novel and varied facets of the phenomenon of English in this fascinating post-protectorate region where Arabic is the official language. This volume both clarifies and problematizes the features, varieties, and roles of World Englishes in this unique and rapidly evolving multilingual region. It fills an essential research gap on publications on World Englishes focusing in the Gulf Area and I have no doubt that it will become a seminal work in the field."

Low Ee Ling, President’s Chair Professor in Education, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

"World Englishes in the Arab Gulf States is a perceptive and innovative work that deftly examines the intricate dynamics of English usage throughout the Arab Gulf nations. This edited volume is a vital resource for academics, educators, and global scholars presenting new insights on linguistic diversity and cross-cultural interactions. It is an important contribution to the study of World Englishes, as it is highly enlightening, well-researched, and accessible - offering a depth of cultural awareness and important analysis."

Laila S. Dahan, Adjunct Professor of Writing and Adjunct Professor of Political Science, Woodbury University, California, USA.

"This is a comprehensive and insightful study of a key area for the diversity of English as a world language and points the way forward for this field."

Raymond Hickey, Adjunct Professor, Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Limerick, Ireland.

Kay Gallagher is a Professor at Emirates College for Advanced Education in Abu Dhabi in the UAE. She teaches and conducts research in English language and literacy education. She has published widely on language and education topics in the Gulf region.

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