Arabic has many expressions that you won’t find explained in a standard dictionary. This is not just a problem for foreigners: Moroccans talking to Saudis, or vice versa, can find themselves equally baffled.

Abdullah Arif, a 23-year-old Saudi living in Dubai, has come up with a smart solution. It’s an online dictionary of slang and colloquial Arabic embracing Maghrebi, Egyptian, Sudanese, Levantine, Iraqi, Yemeni, Saudi and Gulf dialects.

Mo3jam (as it’s called) works on the Wikipedia principle where users create their own entries by posting colloquial expressions and explaining what they mean. After three weeks of operation there are already several hundred.

To avoid causing offence with some of the more colourful expressions, registration is required to look up any that may be 
unsuitable for children.