Frequently Asked Questions

SaudiLingo is an online school for everyday Saudi Arabic. Since 2020 we have taught English speakers to speak the way people in Saudi Arabia actually talk, through the Speak Saudi Arabic A1 video course, beginner books with native audio, pocket phrasebooks and live one-on-one lessons with native Saudi teachers. More about us.

Plenty of it is. Our YouTube channel has free video lessons and real Saudi conversations, the blog guides are free, and so is our free guide with 30 essential Saudi phrases. The A1 course, the books and private lessons are paid, and they are one-time purchases — there is no subscription.

Everyday spoken Saudi Arabic dialect as used in Riyadh and central Saudi Arabia, which is understood across the whole country. We teach what people say in shops, offices, taxis and at home — not formal textbook Arabic.

Yes. When you complete the Speak Saudi Arabic A1 course you receive an A1 certificate.

MSA is the formal, standardized Arabic used in news, books, and official writing across the Arab world — it's rarely how people actually speak. Saudi Arabic (part of the Gulf dialect family) is the everyday spoken language used in Saudi Arabia, with different vocabulary, pronunciation, and expressions. SaudiLingo focuses on the spoken Saudi dialect so you can actually understand and communicate with people, not just read textbook Arabic. See the differences with examples.

No. Everything starts from zero — and you don't need the Arabic alphabet to start. If you want to read Arabic, we teach the script too: private lessons can start at Pre-A1, a level devoted to the letters and reading. Every phrase is written three ways: Arabic script, simple English letters you can read on sight, and plain English. You can say it out loud on day one and learn to read the script later if you want to.

Yes. Our eBooks, audio and the video course all work on any device — phone, tablet, or computer.

Books are self-paced PDFs with native-speaker audio — Book 1 and Book 2 for a full beginner path, and short Mini Books for one situation each (the supermarket, the office, your first week). The A1 course is the same beginner path taught out loud on video: 17 lessons, speaking challenges, printable workbooks and a certificate — see the course. Private lessons are live, one-on-one on Google Meet with a native teacher, built around you — see lessons and prices.

Buy a single lesson or a bundle. Within a minute you get an email with your lesson balance and a booking link. On the booking page you enter your email, confirm a 6-digit code we send you, pick every time you want in one go, and your Google Meet links arrive in a single confirmation email. You can see, move or cancel your lessons any time from Manage Your Lessons. Lesson credits never expire.

Our materials are licensed for personal use only. Sharing, uploading, reselling, or redistributing any content isn't permitted.

Everything is delivered electronically, instantly after checkout — usually within a few minutes — by email: a download link for books and audio, access to the course, or a booking link for lessons. If you don't see it within a few minutes, check your spam folder, then contact us if the issue continues.

Our checkout is processed internationally, so your card needs online and international purchases switched on. Most Saudi and Gulf banking apps let you enable this in seconds — look under Cards → Card settings for “Online purchases” and “International purchases”, turn both on, then try again. Apple Pay also works if your card supports it. Still stuck? Email hello@saudilingo.com and we'll sort it out.

Books, audio and the course are digital and delivered instantly, so all sales are final — except if you were charged incorrectly, didn't receive access, or a technical issue on our side is preventing access.

Private lessons: more than 24 hours before a lesson you can move or cancel it yourself from Manage Your Lessons, free, and it goes straight back to your balance. Inside 24 hours the time is held for you alone, so the lesson counts as taught and can't be moved — with one exception: every student gets a single late cancellation, once. No-shows count as taught. Unused lesson credits never expire. Full details in our Refund Policy.

Email us at hello@saudilingo.com with your order number (if applicable) and a description of the issue, or use our contact page. We aim to respond within 1–2 business days.