Topic of the day...Rhizoid's discussion on Subcontinental influence of Arabic language in the Gulf.
In addition to the various Arabic dialects around Afrique-du-Nord/French-North African, Egyptian, Levantine, Iraqi, and Khaleeji to name a few...one more has to be added:
Asian-subcontinental pidgin Arabic
This form of simple Arabic talk, consists of irregular grammar and broken sentence structure, with strong khaleeji/Gulf and Urdu influence is widely understood by our Pakistani and Indian colleagues. Speak to them in any other Arab dialect, and they won't understand a word, unless they speak fluent Arabic.
Most of these expats who live in the Gulf have developed this small-talk dialect in order to get by with the locals here. It's a pure example of a dialect "designed" and evolved for a specific purpose only. For example, you cannot have an in-depth political issues, or abstract philosophical ideas. It's mainly for simple language.
Here's an example, (I won't use "numbers" just to portray the differences for our non-Arab speakers). I'll use my own Levantine (Lebanese, specifically) as a comparison.
"I speak Arabic very well."
Levantine Arabic: "Ana behkee Arabi mneeh/kwayyes"
Subcontinent Arabic: "Ana fi kalam Arabi ziyada" or "Ana fi kalam Arabi zen"
"This man is a very important person (VIP)."
Levantine Arabic: "Hayda el rijjel kteer mhemm."
Subcontinent Arabic: "Hada nafar arbaab kibeer."
Nafar = Quranic/Formal Arabic term for Human Being (male)
Arbaab = Popular Urdu term used here for a VIP
"Go straight to the buiding on your left hand side." (a hypothetical response given, when asking for directions)
Levantine Arabic: "Imshe/Rouh dighre la tousal ala el bineye aa eedak el shmel."
Subcontinent Arabic: "Seer seeda baden shof mabna jiddam fi yadek el yasar"
I'm thinking of writing a tourist guide booklet with all of these
