A Quick Guide to Saudi Dialects: Hijazi, Najdi and Jonoubi

A Quick Guide to Saudi Dialects: Hijazi, Najdi, and Jonoubi

If you travel across Saudi Arabia, you’ll quickly notice that Arabic doesn’t sound the same everywhere. While Modern Standard Arabic is used in formal contexts, everyday conversations happen in regional dialects. Although these dialects differ in sound and vocabulary, they are mutually intelligible. The three most prominent Saudi dialect groups are Hijazi, Najdi, and Jonoubi (Southern).

Hijazi Arabic is spoken in western cities along the Red Sea, most notably Jeddah, Mecca, and Medina. Because these cities have long welcomed traders and pilgrims from around the world, Hijazi Arabic has a softer sound and includes loanwords from languages such as Turkish and Urdu. A common Hijazi phrase is “إيش تبغى؟” (Ēsh tabgha?) meaning “What do you want?”, and “دحين” (daḥḥīn) for “now.” A common loanword is “بس” meaning “enough” or “that’s it”. For example, “بس خلاص” (Bass khalāṣ) “Enough, that’s it.”

In contrast, Najdi Arabic dominates central Saudi Arabia, including Riyadh and the Qassim region. This dialect is often associated with Bedouin heritage and is more conservative in pronunciation. One of its most noticeable features is pronouncing the letter ج as a hard “g.” Najdis might say “وش تبي؟” (Wesh tabi?) for “What do you want?” and use “الحين” (al-ḥīn) to mean “now.”

Further south, Jonoubi Arabic is spoken in regions such as Asir, Jazan, Najran, and Al-Baha. These dialects share similarities with Yemeni Arabic and have a distinct rhythm and intonation. Speakers may say “إيش تبا؟” (Ēsh tabā?) for “What do you want?” and often use “هالحين” (hal-ḥīn) for “now.”