Arab states of the Persian Gulf

The Arab states of the Persian Gulf are the seven Arab states which border the Persian Gulf, namely Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). All of these nations (with the exception of Iraq) are part of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf.

Geographically, the Arabic-speaking Gulf is solely Eastern Arabia. The borders of the Persian Gulf do not extend beyond Eastern Arabia.Hejaz, Najd and South Arabia are not part of the Persian Gulf. The Arabs of Eastern Arabia speak a dialect known as Gulf Arabic. Most Saudis do not speak Gulf Arabic because most Saudis do not live in Eastern Arabia. There are only 200,000 Gulf Arabic speakers in Saudi Arabia, mostly in the coastal eastern region.

Cultures

The inhabitants of Eastern Arabia's Gulf coast share similar cultures and music styles such as fijiri, sawt and liwa. The most noticeable cultural trait of Eastern Arabia's Gulf Arabs is their orientation and focus towards the sea.Maritime-focused life in the small Persian Gulf Arab states has resulted in a sea-oriented society where livelihoods have traditionally been earned in marine industries.