ABOUT US
Helping People thrive in KSA through online and in-person
language training and cultural experiences.
Founders Story
We started Arabius after living in Saudi for years and trying many ways to learn local dialect Arabic that didn’t work. We struggled through apps, books, online courses, YouTube channels, language centers, conversation partners, podcasts, and private tutors. Each attempt ended with a disappointing lack of results, but the desire to learn Arabic kept increasing the longer we stayed in KSA. We loved living in the Kingdom — sitting with friends at an istaraha, having a keshta in the desert, exploring the country — but without the ability to interact in Saudi Arabic, we felt like we were missing out on the full Saudi experience.
To solve this problem for ourselves and the many expatriates in KSA who feel the same, we launched Arabius in 2020 with a mission to help people learn Arabic, engage culture, and enjoy Saudi. With Joel’s background in finance and startups, Tim’s experience with tech development and project management, and Matthew’s career in linguistics education, we developed our proprietary ICE Methodology to leverage the natural learning process and help anyone learn Arabic from native speakers in an immersive, experiential setting.
Though we’re each at different stages in our Arabic journeys, we all experience that interacting with colleagues and friends in the local dialect makes a remarkably positive impact on the quality of life in Saudi, enabling us to have stronger relational connections, higher mutual respect with society, and a more fulfilling experience in the Kingdom.
Meet our Team
Joel Huffman
Chief Executive Officer
Hometown
College Station,TX
Favorite activity in Saudi
Exploring new places
Favorite food
Tacos
Place I want to travel
Iceland
Other interests
Sports, CrossFit
& Japanese chef knives
Tim Wilson
Chief Operating Officer
Hometown:
Unknown – moved a lot
Favorite activity in Saudi:
Spending time in the desert
Favorite food:
Indian Food
Place I want to travel:
Réunion Islands
Other interests:
Reading & ancient languages
Matthew Buice
Chief Service Officer
Hometown
Los Angeles
Favorite activity in Saudi
Going to the beach
Favorite food
Italian food
Place I want to travel
Fiji
Other interests
Playing piano, photography
& filming
Mohamed Fawzi
Contracts Specialist
Hometown
Dumyāṭ-Egypt
Favorite activity in Saudi
Sports
Favorite food
Lamb Fattah
Place I want to travel
Maldives
Other interests
Reading &socializing
Sarah Saleh Alghofaili
Business Development
Hometown
Qassim
Favorite activity in Saudi
Working out & design
Favorite food
Greek cuisine
Place I want to travel
Spain
Other interests
Art, travel, fitness
Atheer Alajlan
Guide
Hometown
Qassim
Favorite activity in Saudi
Sports
Favorite food
Anything with avocado
Place I want to travel
Iceland
Other interests
Painting & video games
Ala’a AlHussaini
Guide
Hometown
Medina
Favorite activity in Saudi
Exploring new places
Favorite food
Everything
Place I want to travel
Greece & Spain
Other interests
Horse Riding,Exploring
Sarah Khalid Alghofaili
Guide
Hometown
Qassim
Favorite activity in Saudi
Cinema
Favorite food
Sushi & Halloumi
pesto sandwich
Place I want to travel
Greece
Other interests
Travel & Cooking
Abdulrahman AlKhulayfi
Guide
Hometown
Al Zulfi
Favorite activity in Saudi
Exploring new places
Favorite food
Pizza
Place I want to travel
Norway
Other interests
Kashtah (camping)
Ahmed Alanazi
Guide
Hometown
Arʿar
Favorite activity in Saudi
Camping & walking
Favorite food
Kabsa
Place I want to travel
Africa
Other interests
Reading
Riyadh AlJuaid
Guide
Hometown
Al Ta’if
Favorite activity in Saudi
Swimming
Favorite food
Nothing
Place I want to travel
Abha
Other interests
Antiquing
Hussam AlOtaibi
Guide
Hometown
Riyadh
Favorite activity in Saudi
Walking
Favorite food
Nothing
Place I want to travel
Cuba
Other interests
Cultures & poetry
Mubarak AlHussein
Guide
Hometown
Sharurah
Favorite activity in Saudi
Camping
Favorite food
Indian cuisine
Place I want to travel
Madrid
Other interests
Football