Gulf Arabic for expats in the UAE

Say it like you live here.

The Arabic coach that texts you first.

A voice note every morning. Real situations instead of word lists. A coach who slowly stops accepting English, then sends you out to order the karak yourself.

Join the pilot

Tap, then say marhaba. Your voice lifts the crest. Nothing is recorded or sent.

A kakatua is a cockatoo. It learns to talk the only way that works: by living among speakers and saying it back, again and again.

How it works

Apps never make you speak. Your coach will.

A warm, slightly pushy friend who refuses to switch to English.

  1. 01

    The coach texts you first

    A WhatsApp voice note each morning: today's situation, the phrases for it, a nudge. You answer by voice, wherever you are.

  2. 02

    English slowly stops working

    Week one, English is fine. Week two, the coach answers in Arabic first. From week three, English gets ma fahamt and a simpler way to say it.

  3. 03

    Then you say it for real

    Order the karak. Direct the taxi. Greet the watchman. Tell the coach how it went, and the next session picks up from there.

No vocabulary lists. No grammar lessons. Ready-made phrases, learned inside real moments.

Try it · No-English role-play

You're at the cafeteria. Order a karak.

Answer in English and see what happens. Then try it in Arabic. This is stage three of every mission, the part where English stops working.

Your coach
How should I address you?

Arabic changes with who's speaking to whom: shlonak to a man, shlonich to a woman. Kakatua teaches the forms that fit you.

Rashid

Your Kakatua coach

The promise

In 6 weeks you'll handle 10 everyday UAE situations in Arabic, without switching to English.

An example learner. Each situation is can do, partial or new. No levels, no scores.

Show the map at
  1. 01

    Greetings and small talk

    Shlonak? Kil shay zain?

    How are you? All good? to a man

  2. 02

    Karak at the cafeteria

    Wa7ed karak, law samaht.

    One karak, please.

  3. 03

    Taxi and directions

    Wadeeni Dubai Mall, law samaht.

    Take me to Dubai Mall, please.

  4. 04

    Grocery and market

    Wain al 7aleeb?

    Where's the milk?

  5. 05

    Prices and haggling

    Bkam? Akher si3r?

    How much? Your last price?

  6. 06

    The building watchman

    Fi shay 7agi?

    Anything for me today?

  7. 07

    Pharmacy visit

    3indik dawa 7ag al suda3?

    Do you have something for a headache?

  8. 08

    Booking by phone

    Abi a7jiz maw3id.

    I'd like to book an appointment.

  9. 09

    You and your work

    Ana ashtaghel fi Business Bay.

    I work in Business Bay.

  10. 10

    When you don't understand

    Ma fahamt. Shway shway, law samaht.

    I didn't catch that. Slower, please.

Where we are

Right now we're teaching the coach to sound like the Gulf.

Not textbook Arabic. The Arabic of shops, taxis, cafeterias and offices, with Emirati words for the greetings. A native Gulf speaker judges every voice before you hear it.

  1. Now

    Finding the voice

    Testing speech and voice engines on real Gulf Arabic, including the way expats mix in English.

  2. Next

    Building the coach

    WhatsApp voice notes, live voice sessions in your browser, and your map of situations.

  3. Then

    The private pilot

    10 to 20 expats in the UAE. Free, six weeks, the full Basic plan.

  4. After

    Open to everyone

    Followed by deeper packs for the workplace, the market and beyond.

Join the pilot

We're looking for 10 to 20 English-speaking expats in the UAE who are tired of switching to English. Six weeks, free, and a coach who won't let you off the hook.

  • 6 weeksabout 15 minutes a day
  • 10 situationsfrom karak to the pharmacy
  • Freefor pilot members
The situation you want first optional

We'll only use this to invite you to the pilot. No newsletters, no sharing.