Spoken Arabic (Gulf) classes at Klick — how they work
The Arabic people actually speak in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait — not textbook Arabic. Two levels of two months each, all of it speaking and listening: greetings and daily life first, then work and service situations.
Every level is two months: three sessions a week, two hours each, about 48 hours of class. You pay ETB 10,000 per level, level by level, and you decide at the end of each level whether to carry on. Classes run at both campuses, Mexico (Sengatera Building, 19th floor) and CMC Michael (11th floor), and a new class starts every two weeks.
Who it’s for
- People preparing to work in the Gulf — who will need to understand instructions and ask for things on day one
- Returnees going back on a new contract — who got by on gestures last time and want to be understood this time
- Traders and business travellers — buying in Dubai and dealing with suppliers face to face
- Hotel, airline and hospitality staff — serving Arabic-speaking guests in Addis Ababa
- Anyone with family in the Gulf — who wants to speak rather than translate
Not sure where you are? Take the free placement test: six questions, about two minutes, and it tells you which level to start at. You can take it in person at either campus instead. Complete beginners skip it and start at Level 1. Register online in two minutes.
What you will learn
The 2 levels — two months each
| Level | Focus | What you can do at the end |
|---|---|---|
| Level 1 · Everyday Speaking | The Arabic sounds, greetings, introducing yourself, numbers, time, home, market, transport, food, money | Greet anyone correctly, say who you are, count, shop, ask directions and handle daily needs |
| Level 2 · Work & Service | Instructions, workplace vocabulary, phone calls, help and problems | Understand what you are asked to do, ask for what you need, and explain a problem on the phone |
One level is two months. Nobody becomes fluent in two months, and we will not tell you otherwise. What a level buys you is the list above, and the confidence to use it.
Want the whole thing to read later or send to someone? Download the course outline (PDF, 3 pages) — every level, class times, fees and a QR code to register.
Class Schedules
All shifts meet 3 times per week for 2-hour sessions. Times are Ethiopian (local) time, with the international time beside each.
What you leave with
- Understand and answer the spoken Arabic of daily life in the Gulf
- Follow instructions at work and ask questions when something is unclear
- Shop, travel and handle money without an interpreter
- Make and take a phone call, and explain a problem or ask for help
- Greet and answer politely, which is most of how you are judged in the first week
And a recording. Klick is a film school, so every level ends with a filmed showcase: 60 seconds of you using the language, recorded at the start of the level and again at the end. It is the one kind of proof a certificate cannot give you.
Practise free before you enrol
There is a free drill area on this site — no signup, nothing to pay — with everyday words and phrases spoken aloud, a speaking drill that scores your pronunciation, and the letter-forms drill if you want the alphabet too. Meanings are in Amharic, and it covers roughly the ground of Level 1.
It is an honest way to find out whether you enjoy studying Arabic before you pay for a level of it, and a way to hold what you have between classes. It is not a replacement for the class: no drill can correct the sentence you invented or answer the question you did not know how to ask.
Frequently Asked Questions
Thousands of Ethiopians leave for the Gulf every year and arrive unable to say what they need. Two months of spoken Arabic change the first week, and four change the contract. Klick teaches the language and nothing else — no recruitment, no placement, no promises about work.