Hijazi New Arabic Version Bible from Strategic Resource Group added to ethnē!

The importance of the Hijazi Arabic language

Having a Hijazi Arabic Bible translation is critically important for reaching millions of people living at the heart of the Arabian Peninsula. Hijazi Arabic, also known as West Arabian Arabic, is a variety of Arabic spoken in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia. Approximately 10–14 million people speak Hijazi Arabic, with the vast majority residing in Saudi Arabia, though speakers also live in the UAE, Qatar, Eritrea, and the United States. Hijazi Arabic belongs to the Afro-Asiatic language family and forms part of the Arabic macrolanguage, serving as the heart language for communities centered in the major urban cities of Jeddah, Mecca, Medina, and Ta'if — cities that together make up the most populated region in Saudi Arabia, containing 35% of the country's total population.

For churches, missionary organizations, and faith communities throughout this region, providing the Bible in Hijazi Arabic ensures that the Christian message reaches speakers in their heart language — the language in which they think, pray, and express their deepest beliefs. While Hijazi Arabic does not have a standardized written form and mostly follows Classical Arabic writing conventions, its spoken form diverges considerably from Modern Standard Arabic in phonology, vocabulary, and everyday grammar. Without a quality Hijazi Arabic Bible translation, millions of speakers must rely on translations in Modern Standard Arabic or other dialects that create distance between the listener and the living Word.

About this Hijazi Arabic translation

• Local Name: النسخة العربية الحجازية الجديدة
• English Name: Hijazi New Arabic Version
• Translation Scope: Full Bible
• Translation by Strategic Resource Group

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This Hijazi Arabic translation in the wider community

Hijazi Arabic contains two main dialect groups: an urban variety spoken originally in the cities of Jeddah, Mecca, and Medina, and a rural or Bedouin variety spoken among tribal communities and smaller towns across the region. The urban dialect, which most closely identifies with the term "Hijazi Arabic," blends features of both sedentary and Bedouin speech. The dialect carries deep historical roots — in antiquity, the Hejaz was home to the Old Hejazi dialect of Arabic recorded in the consonantal text of the Qur'an — yet the modern spoken form has evolved through centuries of trade, pilgrimage, and cultural exchange along the Red Sea coast. A Bible translation rendered in the natural speech of Hijazi speakers bridges a meaningful linguistic gap, affirming the distinct identity of a dialect community whose spoken voice is rich and living even where it rarely appears in formal writing.

This Hijazi Arabic translation in local churches

Christians in Saudi Arabia navigate one of the most challenging ministry environments in the world. Christian converts from Islam remain very vulnerable, and most Saudi believers must live out their faith in secret with great caution, which is why many suffer from loneliness. The audio format of this Hijazi Arabic translation holds particular significance in this context, enabling believers to engage with God's Word quietly and personally using a mobile device, without the risks that physical printed materials can carry in restricted environments. A Hijazi Arabic Scripture translation gives emerging indigenous believers the tools to pray, study, and share their faith entirely in their heart language, rather than relying on the formal dialect of liturgical religion. As faith continues to grow across the Arabian Peninsula, this translation provides a crucial foundation for discipleship, personal devotion, and the development of indigenous Hijazi-speaking communities who can lead and teach from within their own cultural and linguistic heritage.