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isitors arriving in the Arab world immediately notice the bright sunlight and the continuous warmth of the sun from early morning till early evening. The intensity of the heat varies from country to country and season to season. The sun, sunlight, sunrise and sunset all play a vital role in Arabic culture, much more so than in northern Europe. Sunrise and sunset are reflected in the Arabic names mashriq and maghreb. The Arabic countries east of Egypt and north of Saudi Arabia are known as Mashriq. Literally this means place of sunrise. The Arabic countries west of Egypt are known as Maghreb, the place of sunset. In Arabic almaghreb is often used to refer to Morocco. One of the very first sights that greet the arriving traveller, even at the airport terminal, is that of a mosque, or masjid in Arabic. The Arabic word means place of prostration, the place where you go down on your knees as a sign of submission to God. Inside many airport terminals signs are in Arabic and English. Arabic script is cursive, i.e. the letters are joined, and run from right to left. Interestingly, Arabic numerals run from left to right, just like Western numbers! And here is a tip! Banknotes have Arabic numbers on one side and English numbers on the other. In many Arab countries car number plates are in both Arabic and English, so studying banknotes
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and car number plates can be good practice for reading! The Arrivals Hall is where travellers are confronted with the fascinating and exotic sight of crowds of people wearing different costumes and headdresses. In Arab countries, traditional clothing is still very common. For example in Oman men may wear a dishdasha, i.e. an overgarment in white; as headdress they may wear a kind of turban or patterned cap. According to Islamic rules, a woman should wear long, flowing or shapeless robes which hide her female figure. In traditional societies the veil for women can take many forms, including a face mask of leather, but the choice depends on local custom. Although the veil is a part of traditional Arab female dress, there are always discussions about how far this is a religious requirement. On the whole you are likely to find a colourful mixture from fully veiled women, women wearing headscarves to unveiled women. In big cities many women have replaced traditional dresses with western clothes, so you can find several interesting combinations of veil and modern western dress. However, as a traveller to an Arab country you should always remember to dress decently and modestly. Many travellers will be fortunate enough to be welcomed at the airport by a host. But many independent travellers have to make their own
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way into town. At most airports there are taxi ranks and often the arriving traveller will be besieged by taxi drivers. In recent years some countries have introduced fixed prices at airports, especially for tourists. In most airports you will also find buses and other forms of public transport that will take you to the centre of town.

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Useful phrases The way you greet guests and the language used says a lot about Arabic culture. Lets look at some phrases in more detail.

Welcome! ahlan wa sahlan In Arab society a warm welcome is always expected. This phrase is from Classical Arabic with a history which goes back to the days of nomadic living in the desert. It means, literally, family and easy circumstances, implying that you have come to your family (after being among strangers) and to easy circumstances (after toiling through the desert). The phrase is used in all Arab countries. Other phrases are: marHaban (welcome) or as-salaamu 3aleikum (peace be with you).

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May God bless you! allah yusallmak The Arabic name for God is allah. The name is used by Christians and Muslims alike. All Arabs use the name of God a great deal in everyday speech, far more than is normal in most other cultures. The phrase allah yusallmak is a standard reply to almost anything that is said which is pleasant. It can be a reply to Thanks!, to someone saying, Thank God for your safe arrival! and to someone saying Goodbye to you as you leave.

Praise be to God! al-Hamdu lillah This phrase is also used far more than is normal in other cultures. It is similar to the phrase God save all here, which was very common
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in Ireland in the past. In both Christian and Muslim society in the Arab world the phrase is very frequently on peoples lips on receiving good news or welcoming someone home. In some Arab societies praise is given even for something unwelcome or even hurtful because of the belief that everything is due to the will of an omnipotent God. When a plane touches down, it is very common for Arab passengers to say to each other, al-Hamdu lillah 3ala-s-salaama (Praise be to God for your safety).

How are you? kayf Haalak? In Arab society it is impossible to overdo enquiring after someones health. You can use this phrase whenever you meet somebody, no matter how well or little you know them. You will hear these forms: kayf Haalak? (to a man)
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kayf Haalik? (to a woman) kayf Haalkum (to more than one person) Another possibility for asking how somebody is: shloonak? (to a man) shloonik? (to a woman) shloonkum? (to more than one person). This literally comes from What is your colour?. This question is used in Iraq and many parts of Syria, including Damascus, but it is also used in some regions of the Gulf.

Using someones name ya sami When one is on friendly terms, use of the personal name is normal. However, in all situations the name or the title is preceded by the word ya. The phrase ya sami means roughly O Sami, a phrase found in old English literature. Later you will find many examples of the importance of using the correct forms of address.

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