Qatari Arabic is a variety of Gulf Arabic closely related to the dialects of Bahrain, Kuwait, and the UAE. Qatar's population is exceptionally unusual in global terms: only approximately 12% of residents are Qatari nationals, making it one of the lowest citizen-to-resident ratios in the world. The majority of the population consists of migrant workers, primarily from South Asia, Southeast Asia, and other Arab countries, making Qatari Arabic a minority language on its own soil. Classical Arabic is used in education, religion, and formal media, while English has become the dominant language of commerce, construction, and international business. The rapid economic transformation following oil and gas discoveries in the 20th century accelerated this demographic shift dramatically.
